


51st Century – You Have No Idea

by celedan



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Anal Sex, Children of Earth Fix-It, F/M, First Time, Hermaphrodite Jack, I think the Doctor is a tad unsympathetic when dealing with Jack, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Jack doing unspeakable things out of Grief, M/M, Major Character Death but not for long, Mention of The Year That Never Was, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Sex Toys, The other couples don't have sex here by the way, They are just mentioned for the sake of completeness, Torchwood/Doctor Who Crossover, grieving jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-02
Packaged: 2018-11-22 09:47:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 28,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11377674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celedan/pseuds/celedan
Summary: Jack and Ianto start having an affair. But Jack has a huge secret - besides his immortality of course - that he hasn't told anybody about for a long time. Now, he thinks that Ianto could very well be the first person who will understand him completely, and accept him for who he is. He decides to take the risk, and confide in Ianto.





	51st Century – You Have No Idea

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not a huge fan of the Alpha/Omega verse (I don't even know where that verse came from, can anybody tell me? I'd really like to know) even if I've read a lot of stories from this verse; I always thought the Omega's role much too degrading. I'm not really comfortable reading this although I've read a few very good fics (although from Sherlock; not much experience with Doctor Who Alpha/Omeag stories). So, I've twisted things a bit to find a solution to this problem.  
> I hope you like my approach to the topic.

Of course, Ianto had known what Jack looked like before he sneaked his way into Torchwood Three. And of course had he known about his reputation. Everyone in Torchwood One had known about the reputation of Captain Jack Harkness; that he would shag ev'rything with a pulse. And he was fully prepared to use this to his advantage if everything else failed. He was prepared to do anything to smuggle Lisa into the Cardiff Hub, even if that meant flirting (or worse) with the notorious Captain Harkness. At least the man was handsome... well, beyond handsome, even a straight man had to admit to that.

But what Ianto hadn't been prepared for was Jack's scent. The first time he caught his smell, just before barging into the warehouse to catch Myfanwy, he was almost overwhelmed by it. The man smelled like nothing he had ever encountered, and if it hadn't been for the fugitive pterosaur right behind the wall, the fact that he had to weasel his way into Torchwood to hide and find a cure for Lisa, and, oh, yeah, the fact that he was straight, he would have pounced on him right this minute.

“51st century pheromones. You people have no idea.”

Ianto'd accepted Jack's smug explanation back then, not really thinking about it, but that was months ago. Now, after Gwen joining them, after... after losing Lisa, and after his suspension, the two of them were much closer. Their feelings for each other hadn't turned into hate and mistrust like everyone – including them – would have thought after the stunt Ianto'd pulled, instead they'd developed a deep mutual trust for each other. It was like something connected them after the Cyberman debacle, and after Jack had silently taken care of him while he'd almost succumbed to depression and misery during his suspension. Ianto had pledged allegiance to Jack at that time, vowing to himself never to betray the other man again come what may. And Jack seemed to have seen Ianto's sincerity because he gave Ianto his unwavering trust in return, telling him and entrusting him with things within Torchwood that not even Gwen knew about; things like Flat Holm or the codes and unhindered access to Jack's private secure vaults.

And this whole new attitude between them had brought them closer together physically as well. More than once Ianto had wanted to succumb to Jack's charm, or his heavenly smell when the other man had stood tightly pressed to his back in the shooting range, coaching his shooting abilities. It was on one of this occasions, after Ianto – having gotten much better at shooting – had managed to hit the mark several times in a row. Elated and giddy and drunk on adrenalin, he'd spun around, and thrown his arms around Jack's neck to embrace him, Jack immediately returning the embrace. As quick as it came, Ianto's giddiness evaporated again, leaving him highly embarrassed about his childish, exuberant behaviour. He parted from Jack, but not far because the other man's arms were still tightly wrapped around him, as was Jack's scent like a comforting, arousing blanket... apropos arousing... he felt himself getting hard at the close proximity. Jack's body was so warm, and his muscles so hard, and he smelled so good...

“Jack,” he breathed heavily in warning while drowning in Jack's blue eyes.

“Hm?”

“I have to apologize.”

“For what?”

“For overstepping my bounds.”

“You haven't.”

“Oh,” Ianto made confused.

“I'll tell you when you do.” And with that, Jack bridged the distance between them, and kissed him demandingly.

Ianto moaned into the kiss. He moaned louder when Jack, never one for being timid, deepened the kiss suddenly, nudging his lips with the tip of his tongue questioningly. And Ianto let him in all too happy.

Jack's kisses were like a storm descending on him, and Ianto surrendered to it, let himself be engulfed wholly, but not without a little fight. He fought Jack for the dominance of their kiss, their tongues battling fiercely, filthily between their open mouths, and it ripped a heartfelt groan from Jack. In the meanwhile, their hands stayed idle only for a second; roaming frantically over each other's bodies, pulling and tearing at their clothes in their desperate search for warm skin.

Finally, they'd managed to fumble open each other's trousers, and Jack lost no time to push Ianto's trousers and underwear over his hips, immediately grasping his archivist's cock firmly, and giving it determined strokes.

Ianto choked on his breath, and for a moment, his fingers hovered uncertainly at Jack's hips, out of a last bout of trepidation as well as being rendered motionless from Jack's ministrations. But then he pushed all doubts aside, and followed Jack's example. Leaning his head on Jack's shoulder, giving himself over completely to Jack, he softly but eagerly explored the hot, throbbing flesh under his fingertips. The aroused cock in his hand felt awfully huge, even a little bit strange for it being another man's cock and not his own, and a shiver ran down Ianto's spine when he suddenly thought of it forcing his body open one day if this went any further with time. He had to admit all of a sudden that it wasn't as frightening a thought as he had imagined, but all the more arousing.

They kept silent while bringing each other off, soft moans and panting puffs of breath in each other's ears the only sounds echoing in the otherwise silent cavernous shooting range.

Jack swallowed Ianto's strangled groan with his mouth when he came, kissing the younger man deeply before he stiffened himself, and came all over Ianto's clever fingers.

For a few moments, they stood there motionlessly, the only thing holding them upright the hold they had on each other. Then, eventually, Jack drew back a little bit, and looked at Ianto questioningly.

“All right?” he inquired.

Ianto could only nod numbly, too blissed out and content to formulate actual words.

Jack smiled brightly at him, and leaned in again to give him a kiss full of relief.

 

It was late, and he was so fucking exhausted, but restless at the same time. He looked up when Ianto came into his office, carrying some paperwork.

Jack frowned. “You should go home, Ianto. The others have long gone.”

The young man's eyes flickered up to him, but he didn't stop neatly arranging the stacks of papers on the desk.

“Ianto!” Jack tried again, this time more forcefully, and Ianto stiffened for a second.

“There's nothing for me at home,” he mumbled in reply, and now started arranging some things on Jack's desk to distract himself. Suddenly, Jack's hand clamped around his wrist, and he looked up startled. 

Jack held his deer-caught-in-the-headlights gaze firmly, and slowly drew him nearer. He rolled his office chair back, and pulled the young man between his legs, gently caressing Ianto's sides while steadily looking up at him.

“It was a hard day for all of us,” Jack said softly.

“For you more than for us.”

Jack cringed for Ianto was right. He had been forced to shoot the alien that had tumbled through the Rift today. Maybe he didn't give the impression, but it was always hard for him. These beings weren't just aliens to him. He'd had friends, or lovers, belonging to some of the species they encountered, back in the Time Agency, or on Boeshane.

“Let me stay,” Ianto suddenly pleaded softly, but there was an undercurrent of determined steel in his voice. 

Jack frowned while still scrutinising Ianto. He hadn't been there when he'd had to shoot the alien, but he knew exactly how Jack felt. Somehow, Ianto was the only one who saw how hard it was for him. As he'd been the only one to understand and stand behind him as well when he was forced to give up Jasmin last month. The others had given him a wide berth for days, but not Ianto. He'd stayed silent but faithful, by his side during that time, like a rock for him to lean on, and when the shunning silence of the others became too much, he'd pulled Ianto into a tight embrace for long minutes that had led to more, to him falling desperately on his knees, fumbling with Ianto's trousers until he'd freed him, and then he'd sucked him off relentlessly for the first time. Ianto could do nothing else but hang on breathlessly, clutching so hard at the edges of Jack's desk against which the older man had backed him up at that his knuckles turned white, and the hard edge of the desk had left red welts on the palms of Ianto's hands.

Remembering how much Ianto's presence had helped him the last time, he finally nodded, and pulled him down on his lap, sliding his hands gently into Ianto's neck to draw him down for a deep kiss.

Ianto straddled him on the narrow – but hopefully sturdy enough – office chair, and wrapped his arms around Jack's neck while he returned the kiss with the same ardent eagerness Jack displayed.

They simply snogged for a good long while, kindling the burning need in their bodies to an all-consuming furnace.

Jack ground his steel-hard erection up against Ianto's ass, and the younger man answered him with pressing his equally hard cock against Jack's stomach. He desperately wished for skin on skin contact, but not up here. He broke the kiss, and nudged Ianto from his lap. His archivist blinked at him for a dazed, confused moment before Jack clarified, “Let's go downstairs.”

Ianto nodded feverishly, and slid fully from Jack's lap, grabbing the other man, and pulling him to his feet right into another soul-scorching kiss.

Frantically, they climbed through the hatch in Jack's office floor and down the ladder. Down in the bunk, they were upon each other immediately again the second their feet touched the concrete floor. Pulling and tearing at each other's clothing, the two men stumbled over to Jack's narrow bed. Before tumbling down on it, they tore apart from each other with the last shreds of sanity they still possessed to get rid of the last items of clothes, then they were in each other's arms once more. Jack pushed Ianto down on the bed, and slid upon him. They moaned loudly when their naked bodies came into contact for the first time ever – until now, there had only been half-naked, fumbling encounters, bringing each other off with their hands and mouths only during hurried, stolen moments over the day in dark corners of the Hub.

Instinctively, Ianto spread his thighs so that Jack slid between them, trapping the older man between his legs by pressing them tightly in Jack's sides.

Jack felt the nervous tremble running through Ianto's entire body, so he peppered his face with soothing, loving kisses. “It's all right,” he cooed. “We won't do anything you don't want to do. I only want to make you feel good.”

Ianto moaned breathlessly, and drew back to look at Jack. “No. I... I need you.” His cheeks suddenly flushed endearingly so that Jack simply  _had_ to bend down to kiss him again. They were both out of breath when Jack broke the kiss, and this time, he waited for Ianto to voice his thoughts. The younger man evaded his hungry gaze for a moment before looking him firmly in the eye again. “I want to know what it's like,” he declared, his cheeks burning more than ever in embarrassment. “I... want  _you_ .”

“You've never been with a man, have you?” Jack asked for clarification. Ianto shook his head while Jack smiled at him. “You don't have to be afraid.”

But the truth was, Ianto was afraid. He didn't doubt that Jack would be gentle with him, but he was no fool either. He knew first hand how big Jack was, and it was inevitable that it would hurt even with proper preparation. But he couldn't deny that he wanted it. He couldn't explain it, but he burned for Jack's touch. He needed to feel as close as possible to Jack, he needed him to take him.

Jack smiled at him reassuringly while he rummaged around in his night stand for the lube and condoms while doubts still ran through his head. Should he really do it? A little nagging voice at the back of his consciousness warned him that it was a bad idea, that Ianto would be like the others, that he would be cruel, and that he wouldn't understand, and he'd call him a freak, but... but he needed... It had been such a long time. He hadn't been with any others since this little thing with Ianto started, surprising himself profoundly when he realised this right now. And maybe it was time to ask himself why that was the case.

He sat up to really look at Ianto, and he suddenly came to a decision of which his subconsciousness had been sure already for some time. That he could trust Ianto. That Ianto was different than all the others. But it would take a little time to accept that, he'd hidden it so long from those around him. So for now, while he was the one topping, he would keep his secret, and use the opportunity to suss things out between them, see if they really worked as well as he thought. One day when he would ask Ianto to take him, he would have to confide in him... but until then... Better safe than sorry for the moment.

Ianto started to squirm under Jack's intense scrutinising gaze, and he wanted to sit up as well, but then Jack smiled at him, and put his hand on his chest to hold him down. “You're such a delectable sight, I simply had to look my fill,” he explained his strange behaviour away to which Ianto nodded gingerly.

Jack uncapped the lube, and coated his fingers generously with the cool gel before slipping his fingers down between Ianto's ass cheeks. The younger man hitched a breath, and startled when Jack touched his entrance gently, but he quickly relaxed again. He laid back, giving himself over to Jack, and looked up into his eyes. Jack held Ianto's gaze while he gently massaged the tight ring of muscles before breaching it with one slippery finger. Ianto's breathing sped up, but he stayed relaxed and calm otherwise. It felt slightly strange, but a good strange.

“Go on,” he urged to which Jack complied gladly. 

The Captain slowly pushed his finger in and out of Ianto for long minutes, all the while drinking in Ianto's soft sighs when he touched his sensitive inner walls. Ianto's eyes flew open suddenly, and he clenched involuntarily around Jack's finger when the other man brushed his prostate.

“Oh fuck,” he breathed astonished. “I... I never thought...”

Jack grinned at him, and bumped the tip of his finger once more against the bundle of nerves inside Ianto, making the younger man moan loudly.

“More, please...” Ianto begged.

Carefully, Jack pulled out only to push in again with two fingers now. Ianto's breathing sped up once more at the changed pressure, but he nodded at him to go on regardless.

Jack, again, spent ages carefully stretching Ianto before he eventually added a third finger.

“Harder,” Ianto mewled. “Please, Jack, harder...”

Jack pushed his trembling fingers harder into his lover's body, fucking him in earnest, and he almost couldn't control himself any more. The sight Ianto presented to him was nearly too much. All he wanted was to pull out his fingers, and replace them with his cock.

As if Ianto had heard his thoughts, he opened his eyes to look up at Jack. “Need you,” he begged breathlessly, and spread his thighs more in invitation.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Jack carefully pulled out, and fumbled with the condom packet, being annoyed that he hadn't dealt with that when he'd still had his head on straight. Finally, he'd managed to roll the thin latex over his aching erection, and coated it generously with lube. He caught Ianto's gaze who'd watched him intently with a mixture of need, fascination, and trepidation.

This, although it inflamed Jack's whole body even more, cleared his head a little. He smiled reassuringly at Ianto, and drew the other man's legs tightly around his waist. Carefully, he gripped his rock-hard cock, and nudged the head against Ianto's entrance. He held his gaze once more when he pushed, the head slowly breaching the tight ring of muscles.

Ianto sucked in a breath, and then held it when Jack slid inside of him, and he started to tremble all over his body.

“Breath,” Jack urged, caressing Ianto's sides as if calming down a nervous horse. “Yeah, that's right. Keep on. Tell me if it's too much.”

Ianto nodded, and heeded Jack's instructions. His nerves calmed down, the trembling abated, and all he could concentrate on was Jack's cock slowly forcing his body open. It wasn't like anything he'd ever felt. It felt  _incredible_ . It hurt, yes, but not as much as he'd thought despite Jack's size, and the overwhelming feeling of being this close to Jack, being this connected to him, pushed everything else aside. It was all he could concentrate on. 

After what seemed like a lifetime, Jack had fully sheathed himself inside of him, and for a moment, they both remained utterly still, simply  _feeling_ . 

“Jack, move, please,” Ianto begged eventually, and Jack blanketed Ianto's body once more with his, wanting to be as close to him on the outside as he was on the inside. He propped himself up on his elbows so that he could look at Ianto, could see all of his reactions to everything he did. He drew back slightly, and then pushed in again. Carefully at first, but when Ianto wrapped his legs more tightly around Jack's waist, and urging him on with mewling pleas and sighs, he couldn't hold back. He drew back, and slammed in forcefully. Ianto cried out, and for a moment, Jack thought he'd hurt him, but the frantic “again!” tumbling from Ianto's lips told him that he'd simply found the younger man's prostate once more. He set a hard, steady rhythm, hitting Ianto's prostate with every few thrusts while he buried himself inside of him to the hilt. The young man in his arms mewled and sobbed at the attack on his pleasure centre, and Jack joined him loudly with his own cries and moans. The bed creaked under them when he fucked him even more forcefully, and he almost lost his hold on Ianto's sweat-slippery skin. His thrusts became erratic, then suddenly, he froze, his orgasm crashing over him like a tsunami. Ianto cried out suddenly as well, and he clenched rhythmically around Jack while he came, milking the older man of everything he had. 

His arms trembled while trying to hold himself up so that he didn't crush Ianto under his weight while they both desperately tried to suck in lungfuls of air into their heaving bodies. Finally, Jack's arms gave out, and he crashed down onto Ianto, but the younger man didn't seem to mind. He brought his arms around Jack, and held him tight, all the jostling around making his spent cock slip from Ianto's body. Jack could feel the frantic pounding of Ianto's heart against his own chest, and he was sure that Ianto could feel his heart in return. He shivered when Ianto pressed a loving kiss against his sweat-slicked temple, and buried his face deeper against Ianto's shoulder.

He was on the verge of sleep, and before he succumbed to it, he felt Ianto pulling the blanket over them both.

 

Going all the way with Ianto last week had turned out pretty successful in Jack's opinion. Now, he felt much more confident to let Ianto in on his secret without it taking a bad outcome for Jack emotionally-wise. He just knew that Ianto wouldn't see him as a freak. The man who loves monsters. It had been a low shot from Owen to say that a few weeks ago, but it was rather accurate. More than their medic, or any of them, knew.

Further, despite his calm and reserved, sometimes even shy nature, Ianto possessed a certain streak of carefully veiled dominance, too that appealed not only to Jack's Omega side but to his natural playful side as well. He only had to work on nurturing and honing this dominant trait so that Ianto became more confident to show and act on it – between the sheets as well as at work. Would be good for Owen if the archivist hit back at him.

And because of that unexpected character trait, Jack got the feeling that maybe Ianto would be able to fill both roles for him at times, Alpha  _and_ Omega. It wouldn't be the same as with a real Alpha or Omega, but it had been over a hundred years since Jack had spent a heat with one of those. Ianto was the next best thing to that, and furthermore, he was the first one that Jack even considered entrusting with his secret. Secrets even.

He just had to wait a little more for the right opportunity to confide in Ianto.

 

Trembling and panting from exhaustion, Ianto leaned against his desk, carding his fingers through his damp hair. His clothes were drenched with sweat as well after working for hours in the archives, heaving boxes upon boxes of papers, folders, and alien artefacts to and fro to further try to bring a little bit of order into the Torchwood archives. He looked at his watch. Almost six in the evening. The others probably had gone home for the weekend. He really should let it be for today as well. At least he should take a break, and get something to drink before he got back to it (he simply hated unfinished business, and knew that he wouldn't let it rest until Monday no matter what).

He jumped heavily as a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, and, after having realised who had sneaked up on him, glared at Jack over his shoulder.

“Don't do that!” he chided his boss, who simply stepped around in front of him with a cheeky grin on his face.

“Why not. Turnabout is fair play. Normally, you are the one sneaking up on us.” 

Ianto glared harder at him. But Jack didn't let himself be deterred by Ianto's menacing gaze. Instead, he stepped even closer, and wriggled his way between Ianto's thighs, touching his nose against Ianto's playfully while he brought his arms around Ianto's middle.

“Jack...” Ianto tried to evade Jack's embrace, but the older man held him tight. “Don't. I smell, and...”

The returning answer was a heartfelt “yes!”, and then Jack pressed Ianto onto the desk, and buried his nose in Ianto's neck, inhaling deeply, and starting to nibble at the salty, moist skin.

“Jack,” Ianto moaned breathlessly, and sagged back in surrender, giving himself over to Jack completely.

“Do you have any idea what your smell does to me,” Jack whispered heatedly against Ianto's skin which drew another moan from the younger man.

“If it makes you as hot as your smell makes me, then yes, I know.”

But then, Ianto put his hand on Jack's chest to push him away, and levered himself up with the other. “But I'd really like to take a shower now.” His gaze softened somewhat, and a mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes. “I wouldn't be opposed to you joining me, though.”

Jack's grin brightened, and he let Ianto up. Meekly but eagerly like a little puppy, he followed him to the showers, and was tremendously surprised when Ianto didn't head for the communal showers, but for Jack's quarters. A satisfied grin played over Jack's features. That promised well for him.

Inside Jack's tiny bathroom, they fell upon each other in an instant, attacking each other's mouths with heated kisses, and tearing each other's clothes from their bodies. Jack stumbled backwards into the shower, pulling Ianto with him without stopping to kiss him hungrily.

The hot water raining down on them felt good on Ianto's sticky skin, but not as good as Jack's hands wandering greedily all over his body. He moaned into the kiss when Jack's hands found his backside, and started to massage his buttocks.

Greedily, he pressed more tightly against Jack, and urged him on with moans and breathless sighs, depending on where Jack slid his questing hands in that second.

“Let's get out of here,” Ianto groaned to which Jack only too happily complied. Ianto was so turned on, he'd even forgone washing properly. Which suited Jack just fine in that moment; they'd only get dirty again later anyway.

Hastily, the two men turned off the water, and stepped from the shower to dry off separately. Otherwise, they'd never have left the bathroom without pouncing on each other again.

But back in Jack's bedroom, they were all over each other once more, their already shower-warmed skin slowly becoming hot and slick with fresh sweat again in their arousal. In a sudden move, Ianto pushed Jack down onto the narrow mattress, following him down in the next second, and into a deep, needful kiss.

“Want you to fuck me,” Jack suddenly mumbled against Ianto's lips.

The young man drew back abruptly, and blinked down at him in surprise. “Oh,” he breathed astonished. “Really? I mean... I thought...”

Jack chuckled, and pulled him down for another kiss. “Really,” he replied. “You have a certain streak of dominance in you that's incredibly appealing.”

Ianto ducked his head in embarrassment. “I'm not...”

“Oh yes, you are,” Jack insisted amused, but then he became serious again, considering Ianto with a smouldering gaze. “I could feel it. You just have to have more faith in you, and give this side of you a chance.”

Ianto pondered this for a second, frowning down at Jack uncertainly, but eventually, he nodded.

Jack beamed at him, and he knew Ianto could do it. Despite the young man's timidness, he'd seen the possessive, wild gleam in Ianto's eyes just now.

But there was something that he had to get out of the way beforehand...

He sighed, and sat up, his erection already flagging a little.  _Should have thought of that before we were in the mood_ , he thought angrily, but now it was too late, he had to go through with this since he didn't want to back-pedal and switch places this time, postponing their talk for a more suitable time. The mood was probably lost anyway. He was lucky if Ianto even wanted to continue after what he would have to tell him. He'd thought carefully about confiding in Ianto over the course of the last few weeks, and he was almost sure that he would understand. But would he understand enough to want to continue their... whatever it was they had?

“Ianto... before we go any further, I have to tell you a few things.”

Ianto eyed Jack warily, his arousal all but forgotten, but nonetheless made room so that he could sit up all of the way. He sat back on his haunches. “Yes?”

“Well...” Jack fidgeted nervously which was uncharacteristic for him. He slumped against the headboard, and held out his hand with a pleading expression. Ianto took the hint, and sat next to Jack, even if it was a bit snug on the narrow bed.

For a few long minutes, nobody said anything, but Ianto didn't press Jack for which he was grateful.

“When we first met,” he finally said, “I told you something about 51st century pheromones.”

“Yes,” Ianto interrupted him while being hard pressed to ignore said pheromones which still hung heavy in the air, and only slowly dissipated with Jack's cooling sweat – but not completely. Never completely...

“I didn't pay it any heed at the time, but I think it's save to assume that you are from the future.”

Jack threw him an amused side glance. “Worked that out for yourself, did ya?”

Ianto threw him an exasperated look, but the corners of his mouth twitched. “Indeed, Sir.”

An involuntary shiver run through Jack at Ianto calling him thus with a pointed stare, but he suppressed it quickly. “Okay, good. Then that's out of the way.”

“But that's not all,” Ianto surmised, and Jack sighed once more heavily.

“No, it's not.”

“Thought as much,” Ianto mumbled. “It never is.”

“What do you know about the mating habits of wolfs?” Jack suddenly blurted out, shutting Ianto up effectively.

Ianto blinked at him hard, then he in turn blurted out a perplexed “what?!”

Jack winced, and shrugged helplessly. “Okay, maybe not the best opening ever, but, look... it's like that for me, what it will be for the people in the 51 st century.”

“You've lost me here...”

“Yeah, sorry.” He grinned sheepishly. “A few hundred years from now, humanity will have left Earth, spread about the whole universe, and start to mix with other races, evolving into something completely new. There won't be any pureblooded humans in the future any more.” 

“Okay... So far I'm with you again.”

Jack smiled quickly at him before he continued. “Some humans, at least those from the quadrant where I've been born, have developed additional sexes. We aren't defined as man or woman any more but as Alpha, Omega or Beta.”

“As in... a wolf's pack...” Ianto realised. 

“Yes, exactly.”

“And this means what?”

“Ev'ry sex has males and females. The Omegas bear the children and the Alphas sire them.”

“Even female Alphas!? And male Omegas are able to...”

“Yeah. Female Alphas have male genitalia as well, and male Omegas have internal female sexual organs.”

“Huh...” Ianto looked shell-shocked, and somewhat fascinated, but all in all, he took it in good stride. Better than Jack had thought. But he hadn't told him everything yet after all. He cringed, but pressed on.

“Well, three times a year, Omegas go into heat which triggers an Alpha's rut as well. This time – a week at the most – can be a bit muddled for the Omega. So it's the Alpha's responsibility to care for them during heat. They don't lose their head as much as Omegas. You see, a lot of the mating in the future runs on smell. That's why my smell is stronger than yours. It's to attract potential mates.”

Ianto muttered something which Jack couldn't quite catch, but he grinned smugly when he saw Ianto blush suddenly.

“However,” he continued, ignoring Ianto's embarrassment deliberately, “during heat, a pregnancy is almost inevitable, unless the Omega – or even both – takes contraceptives. Why I'm telling you all of this... you have to know the mechanics when dealing with me. Otherwise one of us can get hurt... and I don't want to freak you out with my anatomy.”

Ianto's gaze snapped up to Jack at that, and he glared fiercely at him. “You won't,” he stated with a stubborn confidence that touched Jack.

“Okay... But I have to tell you regardless.”

Ianto nodded firmly.

“Right, ehm, a male Omega's body produces natural lubricant like a woman to make it easier on them. This works pretty much like with a woman nowadays; if the Omega is aroused, he gets wet. More so during heat of course. And during a heat, an Alpha will knot an Omega. That's another aspect we have in common with wolfs. A knot will form at the base of the Alpha's cock during intercourse. When she or he climaxes, the knot swells so much that it gets stuck in the Omega's passage for up to twenty minutes to ensure the come stays in long enough to induce pregnancy.”

Ianto grimaced at that. “Sounds like it could hurt.”

“Yes, it can. It can be very painful if the knot is forced out before it's down again.”

“But... this is only the case during a heat?” Ianto asked uneasy.

“Yeah. The Alpha's body reacts to the pheromones of an Omega in heat which enables them to knot the Omega.”

Ianto grimaced a bit more, his cute nose crinkling in distress and distaste so that Jack lowered his gaze in trepidation of Ianto's further reaction. “Sounds to me as if this part of humanity shouldn't have mixed with these specific aliens.”

“Yeah,” Jack laughed relieved. “It can be highly impractical.”

“And...” Ianto cleared his throat. “And... what are you?” he eventually asked timidly, although he knew the answer already. A man like Jack Harkness couldn't be anything else...

Jack sighed heavily. Here it comes. “I'm both Alpha and Omega,” he admitted softly, not daring to meet Ianto's eye. “I'm a hermaphrodite.”

Okay... This really wasn't what Ianto had expected to hear.

“Oh,” he made softly, hesitantly meeting Jack's eye. “And I thought...” He cleared his throat again. “And I thought you were an Alpha.”

Jack laughed uneasily. “You were partly right.”

“Hmhm, I just couldn't think of you as an Omega. You're too... strong-willed for that. And after ev'rything you've told me, I get the impression that Omegas are, well, at a disadvantage during this whole heat business.”

Jack nodded, impressed by Ianto's perceptiveness. “Yeah, you're right. There are some areas where they tread their Omegas like fragile little things or mindless breeding machines without rights of self-determination, not even allowed to take suppressants or contraceptives, but not where I'm from. Yes, we're more vulnerable because of our heat, but  _our_ Alphas aren't rutting animals that pounce on every unbound Omega they encounter against their will.” Jack crinkled his nose in disgust, and Ianto really didn't want to imagine a society where such a thing was accepted. And he didn't want to imagine Jack having to live in such a society even less with him part Omega. He's such a strong-willed individual. It broke Ianto's heart when he imagined all that fire snuffed out from early youth on only because he was the wrong sex. 

“There are laws that make all three sexes equal, and there are suppressants for a heat and contraceptives,” Jack continued as if reading Ianto's mind. “It's not allowed to withhold one or both from an Omega because the Alpha wants to breed them. Though, like I said, there are planets where this is common. But where I'm from, an individual is not judged by its sex but by its character and qualities. I may be part Omega, but that doesn't make me who I am. Nor does the Alpha part in me.”

“That's a very advanced view. Much like they aim for nowadays but failing.”

“Yeah, but you see, only one solar system away from mine, they treat Omegas worse than they did women in Earth's past. Only because we're talking about the future here doesn't mean it's better... or that anybody learnt from past mistakes. Humanity is still as fucked up as today, maybe even more so.”

An uncomfortable, insecure silence fell between them while Ianto tried to process everything he'd just heard, and Jack was busy not freaking out about how Ianto might decide further.

“So...” Ianto eventually started talking again, careful of every word he chose. “When you talked about contraceptives in the rain, and having been pregnant once... the day we met Gwen... that wasn't...”

Jack's head snapped up in surprise. “You heard?”

“Yeah, I was on the comms.”

“Oh...” Jack sighed heavily. “No, it wasn't a joke.”

“Do you...” Ianto faltered, not sure of his welcome or if he even had the right to ask, but then he pulled himself together. “Do you want to talk about it?”

For a few moments, Jack didn't reply, and then he eyed the young man next to him intensely. After a while, Ianto began to squirm under Jack's scrutinising gaze, but he stood firm. Then, Jack sighed once more, and relaxed against the headboard again, lifting his arm for Ianto to slip inside his embrace.

Inside very eager to finally learn more about their mysterious leader – well, even more than he'd learnt already this evening which was more than either of the team had learnt about Jack the whole time they worked for Torchwood –, Ianto complied, and tightly snuggled up to Jack.

“I told you already that in the future, there are suppressants for a heat,” Jack began haltingly, unsure where he should really start, “and contraceptives, only much more advanced than those today. But when I stranded back in the 19th century, there wasn't anything like this.”

Ianto frowned at that. “You stranded in the 19 th century? Then how did you get to the here and now?”

Jack flinched. He'd completely forgotten that Ianto knew nothing of his past, including his run in with the Doctor, and his becoming immortal... Well done, Harkness.

He looked at Ianto long and hard, and finally, he decided to take the risk. He'd already told Ianto of his fucked up anatomy without the young man freaking out (although that may yet still come when Ianto was faced with one or the other side of him –  _now_ this was still only a theoretical concept he'd just been told about), then maybe he should take  _that_ risk as well. In the past, it hadn't really worked out well when he'd let people know, but that was back then, the last person to know about one of his secrets had been Alice's mum. He'd never told anybody both his secrets, but now were different times, much more acceptant, and... Ianto was different than all the others. If he wouldn't understand and accept him, then nobody would.

So, he quietly lurched into a brief but thorough explanation of, well, his whole life, truth be told. He told Ianto about the Doctor and his immortality – almost shocking him more with this than the whole Alpha-Omega thing. He told him of his struggles when he first stranded here on Earth, of his desperate experiments to simulate the suppressants and contraceptives of his time; how it had taken decades and a whole lot of pilfered Torchwood goods to at least get it right to some extent. He told him of the one time when the pills did not work yet, how he became pregnant in the 1930's. The child's father had been a Torchwood agent with whom he'd had an affair, and the one time they'd switched roles with him bottoming and also close to his heat, it had happened. He'd had the child in secret with the help of Torchwood's doctor back then who'd only kept silent in exchange for Jack's promise that he could do experiments on him. He didn't have a chance but to agree. The child he gave away, he couldn't keep her, not in the environment he lived. So he'd given her to a good family (thankfully, she was a Beta – Alice as well – so that she could blend into human society without any problems), and ever since watched over her and her descendants from afar. Needless to say that his pregnancy had ended his affair with Robert spectacularly. His younger lover couldn't bear to look him in the eye afterwards, and Jack recognised the carefully veiled looks of disgust and fear Robert threw him when he thought he wasn't looking. After that, he had been more careful, never bottoming again until the time he'd got the suppressants right and he'd developed more effective contraceptives with the help of those humanity slowly invented. The suppressants weren't ideal, they muddled his brain, and he was still feverish during his heat, but they did what they should, namely suppressing the worst of his heat so that he would pass as a normal twenty-century guy who just was a little under the weather for a few days. He tried to avoid sex during this time though, because he still couldn't hide how much natural lube his body produced during those days. And explain that to some hapless, clueless one-night-stand...

Afterwards, he was somehow relieved to have told Ianto all of this.

“It must have been hard, hiding yourself like this,” Ianto said softly after Jack had ended his story.

He shrugged too casually for it to be credible. “The knot appears only during a heat, so I could hide it pretty well from any lovers. And with a guy, I top most of the time, so that's hiding my Omega traits taken care of. But although the suppressants work, the time of heat still gets to me. It was always bad for me because I craved an Alpha so badly, but at the same time my own Omega hormones set off the Alpha in me so that I craved an Omega, too. I would need both during a heat, but that only ever happened a couple of times when I was younger – most people saw me as too much of a freak. I learnt to content myself with one or the other. And I had enough time since stranding here to accept that I wouldn't get either for a long, long time to come...”

“Can you...” Ianto cleared his throat uneasily. “Can you spend a heat with a normal person?”

“Yeah. It's possible to trick my body that way to find satisfaction nonetheless.”

“Hm.” 

Jack didn't know what he should make of this nondescript sound.

Ianto kept silent after that for a long time, making Jack even more anxious with every passing second.

“Why didn't you tell me all this from the beginning?” he finally asked, and looked up questioningly at Jack.

Jack pressed his lips together unhappily. “I... I can't go round telling everyone of my secret. Secrets.”

Ianto's head snapped up, and he fixed Jack sharply. “I'm not everybody.”

“I know that,” Jack sighed, “now. I wasn't sure how this... thing between us would proceed further. Like I said, when I top, I can keep my, well, keep my anatomy a secret, but it's harder bottoming. A one-night-stand would buy that I've prepared myself, but how would I hide my body's natural lubricant in a long-standing relationship...”

“You wanted to test the waters with me.”

“Yes.”

Ianto made this non descriptive sound again which made Jack's skin crawl with trepidation.

“I could understand if this freaks you out,” Jack assured hastily, but one look from Ianto silenced his frantic babbling.

“You understand nothing,” he stated, and despite his firm, reproachful tone, he took Jack's hand gently in his, entwining their fingers. “I'm honoured that you trust me enough to tell me all this, and I would never, you hear me, never condemn you because of who you are, no matter if you are unusual even for your own time.” Ianto shifted slightly so he could look Jack firmly in the eye. “You are not a freak, Jack Harkness, no matter what others – may it be past or future – have told you, but the most remarkable man I've ever met. This includes your physiognomy as well as your character faults.”

Hearing this, Jack knew for good that he had made the right decision in trusting Ianto explicitly, and suddenly, it felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders – much more than a few minutes ago. Then he'd simply been relieved to have shared his secret with someone, but now he had the certainty that everything he'd said was accepted by the one person that counted.

Their arousal was completely gone though, the mood broken. Instead, now it was Ianto who held Jack comfortingly in his arms, and although it was slightly awkward between them after all these revelations, they snuggled together on Jack's bed for a long time, not speaking a word, but lazily caressing each other's bodies for comfort. And for now, this was more than enough, was even exactly what Jack needed at the moment he realised in surprise. He'd always had his fair share of sex, pretty mind-blowing sex even, but there had never been much gentleness or intimacy in his conquests. Not even with his more serious relationships. So this... this was incredibly new to him. And it felt... it felt like home somehow, as if he belonged. To Ianto. It was a frightening thought, but he wouldn't be so stupid and throw this away because of his fears.

“Thank you,” he whispered into the comfortable silence between them. Ianto startled slightly, but in reply, he pressed a kiss in Jack's hair.

 

Nonetheless, after a while, the mood came back, sizzling arousal sparking up between the two men once more. You could only caress each other lovingly for so long without Jack Harkness getting back in the mood eventually.

“Ianto?” he murmured hesitantly.

“Yes,” the younger man answered, and there was no question in his voice. He knew exactly what Jack needed at the moment, and truth to be told, he needed it as well. Suddenly, there was nothing more important in the world than making love to this man, to bury himself deep inside, and lose himself in him. 

He kissed Jack deeply for a long time, then he rolled him onto his back, settling between his invitingly spread thighs. By now, he was so aroused that his hands shook heavily when he reached over to the bedside table to rummage around in the drawer for the condoms. He hesitated when his fingers brushed the tube of lube, but then he pulled his hand out with just the condom grabbed between his unsteady fingers. Involuntarily, he trembled when he recalled what Jack had told him about an Omega's natural lubricant. Questioningly, and also curious as Hell, he reached down between Jack's cheeks, and finally felt the amazing slickness oozing from his entrance. He had to ask nonetheless. “Do I need to...”

“No,” Jack interrupted him, and raised his hips towards Ianto demandingly. “Just slide right inside. Come on.”

So, after hastily rolling on the condom, Ianto did.

At first, it felt like as if sliding into a woman's body, it was so easy, but then he realised how incredibly tight Jack was despite the effortless penetration, and how much hotter his body was to that of a normal person. Ianto couldn't contain a groan after he'd sheathed himself completely. For a few moments, he held absolutely still while getting used to the incredible feeling, staying poised over Jack's heaving body, the only thing holding him up were his trembling arms. He opened his eyes and met Jack's gaze.

“Please,” the older man begged with a choked voice before sucking in another gulp of air. “Please...”

Ianto nodded, and when he was sure that he wouldn't come alone from being inside Jack, he drew back, and pushed in again deeply in a firm, slow stroke.

They both let out loud moans at the delicious, slick friction, and Jack tightened his legs around Ianto's waist to pull him in even deeper.

Ianto set a slow but firm pace that had Jack writhing in ecstatic agony, and at first, Ianto ignored Jack's sobbed pleas of “harder!” mercilessly. Then he changed the angle of his hips, and with the next thrust, Jack cried out brokenly, clinging hard to Ianto as if for dear life. And only now Ianto allowed himself to let go. He snapped his hips forward, hitting Jack's prostate dead on with every hard stroke.

The older man was a sobbing, moaning mess by now in his arms, and he clung so tightly to Ianto that he was sure to have finger-shaped bruises on his back tomorrow. His own hold on Jack started to slip slightly on the sweat-slicked skin, but he was adamant to hold on. He shifted his hold slightly, putting Jack's quivering legs over his shoulders, and thrust deeply once more in a punishing rhythm. Three, four hard thrusts, and at the fifth, he stiffened, and came with a shudder buried balls-deep in Jack's ass. Warmth splattered against his stomach at the same time when Jack came without even being touched.

Exhausted, he let Jack's legs slide from his shoulders so that they lay wrapped loosely around his waist, and then let himself tumble to the side so as not to crush Jack. The other man rolled over with him, trapping Ianto tightly between his legs so that he had to stay buried inside Jack. A slight shudder ran through Jack when Ianto shifted to find a more comfortable position, and he moaned softly. Ianto stared at him incredulous while he became aware of the new burst of warmth wetness running over his hip.

“Did you just...”

“Yeah,” Jack breathed, and threw him a tired smile. A new frisson of lust ran through Ianto's exhausted body at the shagged out, debauched look of the older man. He shifted his hips once more, and according to Jack's whimper, his reawakening, twitching cock must have brushed Jack's prostate. 

“Is that normal for an Omega? Having multiple orgasms, or is it just you?”

“It's n-normal,” Jack stuttered, and with a decided move, rolled them both around once more so that Ianto came to lay on his back with Jack straddling him. 

He gasped at the incredible sight above him when Jack started to undulate his lips lazily, his eyes closed in bliss, and his head thrown back.

“It's normal,” he repeated in a breathy moan. “You can take me as often as you want.” At that, he looked down upon Ianto challengingly, a roguish smirk playing around his lips. “Think you can keep up with me?”

Ianto moaned brokenly instead if giving an answer as Jack gave his hips a really dirty twist. When he'd recovered, he returned the smirk confidently. “We just have to see, won't we.”

Jack broke out into a broad grin before he closed his eyes once more, and sped up his moves. “Oh yeah.”

 

Ianto frowned while watching Jack closely. The other man had started acting strange a few days ago, somehow... jittery, even nervous, but he hadn't said anything about his behaviour. And Ianto wouldn't ask. Although Jack had confided in him about his past this didn't give him carte blanch to demand being entitled to know all of Jack's secrets. However, that didn't mean that he didn't want to know...

“Ianto.”

He startled. At the end, he'd been so lost in contemplating his relationship with Jack – if you could even call it that – that he hadn't noticed the other man moving. Now, he looked up at him slightly guilty and embarrassed. “Jack, what can I do for you?” he asked a little too formally.

What was even stranger was Jack suddenly starting to fidget so as if he was nervous or something. But that couldn't be right. Captain Jack Harkness was never too shy to speak his mind with the exception of his confession a while ago. But that didn't count. Everybody would have been terrified to reveal such monumental secrets.

“Can we talk?”

Ianto gulped. These words never boded well, but at least Jack had formed them as a question, not a demand, so maybe it wasn't as grave as Ianto feared.

Therefore, he nodded, and followed Jack. The Captain led him down into the lower levels until they were safely out of earshot of the others.

Nervously, Jack raked his fingers through his hair, and evaded Ianto's gaze for a few moments. “Maybe it's not the best of times to have this conversation, but I couldn't wait until the others were gone. I only would have lost my nerve.”

“Jack...” Ianto said gently, and reassuringly caressed Jack's upper arms. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I told you that you can tell me anything you want. There's no need to be nervous.”

Jack laughed humourlessly. “Yeah, well, wait until you know what this is all about. Anyway. I'm sure you've noticed that I'm a little... off of lately.”

Ianto nodded, and smiled encouragingly at Jack to go on.

The older man took a deep breath, and then looked him straight in the eye. “My heat's coming up.”

Oh. That was something Ianto really hadn't expected. “I... I thought you take suppressants.”

“Yeah, but remember, I told you that I still feel some effects of a heat.”

Right. Ianto recalled Jack telling him that he was still feverish for a few days.

“It's bearable, but I learned that it's easier for me to spend this time with someone.”

“And... and have you? In the past?” Ianto hated how insecure he sounded, and how jealous he felt at the thought of someone else helping Jack through those times.

“Only twice. The last time was with Lucia. I never dared again after our relationship ended in such a spectacular catastrophe.” Jack looked at Ianto imploringly. “But now, now it's different. You know. And furthermore, you accept me how I am. So, Ianto, please, would you spend my heat with me and help me through it?”

Ianto was gob-smacked that Jack put so much trust in him again, but luckily, his mouth worked faster than his astonished brain, and immediately said “yes”.

A sudden tension visibly bled out of Jack, and he let out a small sigh of relief. “You sure? You don't have to. I...”

“Yes, Jack,” he repeated more firmly so that there was no room for any arguments.

Jack swallowed heavily, and nodded in thanks. Shyly, he stepped closer to Ianto, and pecked him on one cheek.

“When...” Ianto cleared his throat, suddenly a little nervous nevertheless. “When do you want to...”

“Tomorrow evening.”

“Okay. And... do I need to keep something in mind?”

Jack shook his head, then he shrugged. “We have to use condoms when you top, of course, like before. I'm not really up to being pregnant again. But apart from that... No.”

“You said you still feel the effects of the heat slightly...”

“Yeah. I'm a little restless and feverish.”

“I noticed.”

“And I might be a tad more horny than normal.” Jack smirked bashfully to which Ianto only raised one eyebrow drily.

“I wasn't aware that that was even possible, Sir,” Ianto dead-panned to which Jack laughed liberated. Then he calmed down again, and waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“You'll see tomorrow.”

“Oh joy,” Ianto replied drily, but regretted it the instant Jack became timid and unsure once more.

“Ianto...” Jack frowned, insecure.

“No.” Ianto cupped Jack's face between his hands, and looked him firmly in the eye. “I _want_ to do this, do you hear me. It's an honour to be there for you.”

Jack nodded briskly, and turned his head to the right into Ianto's palm to kiss it. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Ianto leaned forward, and kissed him gently. “Thank you for trusting me,” he whispered against Jack's lips. “And now, I still have some things to do.”

He kissed Jack once more, lingering slightly longer than he had intended, before he broke the kiss, and made his way back up to his workstation.

 

He was nervous when he turned the key to his flat the next evening, Jack's presence behind him almost something tangible. He even imagined that he could feel the other man's heat on his back. He didn't really know for sure what he should expect, but they had this night and all of the next day to find out. They'd both taken off tomorrow since Jack thought that most of his heat would be over by then. After that, he was sure that he would get by during the day until they could be together again in the evening to slake even the last remnants of his heat. Ianto only hoped that he wouldn't bollocks it up somehow.

Silently, Jack followed him into the flat, but after the door had clicked shut behind them, the older man was upon him. Jack forcefully kissed him, his movements tinged with slight desperation, and pushed him against the flat door with a thump. Ianto's breath hitched when his back collided with the door, but that didn't stop his hands from tearing frantically at Jack's clothes, his nervousness all but forgotten. The other man's frantic need was obviously catching. Jack wasn't far behind in divesting Ianto of his clothes, and soon, they were both naked, rutting against each other in the middle of Ianto's hallway.

“Bed! Now!” Ianto ordered in a breathless moan, and Jack nodded frantically.

Although it was hard, he tore himself away from Ianto, and tugged him in the direction of his bedroom. Once inside, he pushed Ianto down onto the bed, and clambered after him, kissing him again as soon as he had the chance.

Ianto moaned into the kiss, and ground his erection up into Jack's own. Jack's body seemed to burn. It was as if a furnace surrounded him, and under normal circumstances, Ianto would have been worried.

He cried out when Jack suddenly made his way down his body, leaving a trail of hot, moist kisses peppered over Ianto's skin. Breathing heavily, Ianto arched into Jack's mouth, and when the older man suddenly wrapped his lips around Ianto's cock greedily, he cried out once again brokenly. He clutched the blanket tightly in his fingers as if holding on for dear life when Jack swallowed him down in one go, the tip of his erection bumping against the soft tissue of Jack's throat all of a sudden.

But it wasn't what he needed at the moment, and it seemed as if Jack needed something else, too, because he let Ianto's cock slip from his mouth again very soon, slid a condom on him that he'd seemed to procure from thin air, and moved up to straddle him. With burning eyes, he looked down on Ianto questioningly who nodded jerkily. Without preamble, the older man lowered himself down onto Ianto's rock-hard cock.

They both moaned at the sensation, Ianto once again amazed at the tight, hot slickness, and Jack grateful of the hard shaft forcing him open. It wasn't ideal for him, he knew that. There wouldn't be a knot, but apart from that, Ianto was pretty big. Bigger than average, almost as big as an Alpha from his time, almost as big as himself. That made it easier for him in this time of primitive need when nothing seemed to be enough for him, nothing big enough to fill him up to quench the ache to be filled, to be possessed, he felt in every cell of his body.

His thighs quivered with the strain to hold himself still to give them both time to adjust, but when the burning need became too overpowering, Jack raised himself only to drop down again on the thick cock impaling him. He set a lazy rhythm, alternately circling his hips, and raising himself up and down. All the while, he had his eyes closed to simply  _feel_ ; to feel Ianto's hands wandering over his body in loving caresses, to feel the hot, sweat-slick body between his thighs, to feel his cock filling out every inch of his passage, stretching him almost to the limits. The feeling was incredible. If he concentrated, he thought he could feel every vein on Ianto's cock, every throb of blood pumping into the hard shaft even through the thin latex of the condom. 

Instinctively, his right hand crept towards his cock while the other simply laid on Ianto's hip. His eyes flew open, when strong hands clamped around his wrist all of a sudden, keeping his hand away from his cock.

“No,” Ianto said firmly when their gazes met. “You will only come on my cock.” And with that, he flipped them over so that for a moment, he was firmly trapped between Jack's thighs. “Turn over,” he ordered, and suddenly pulled out. Jack scrambled to comply, and panting, he presented his ass to Ianto on his hands and knees. Ianto grabbed his hips, and roughly slammed into him again. He set a punishing rhythm, battering Jack's prostate with every other thrust. The room was filled with the two men's moans and cries, Jack's screams of ecstasy almost frantic, and the overpowering smell of musk and pheromones hung thickly in the air.

Jack whined when Ianto suddenly withdrew out of the blue. He was so close; the younger man couldn't simply stop now! But in the next second, he was breached again. But not by Ianto's cock. He knew instantly that Ianto had exchanged his erection for a dildo, the slightly cool, rubbery quality a dead give away apart from the different feeling in size and girth, but he didn't understand why Ianto would do that. Until the younger man shoved the toy into him up to the hilt. Jack let out a choked gasp of shock and surprise as a knot forced itself inside his body. He couldn't hold back, he moaned loudly, and greedily pushed back onto the strange dildo, the knot getting caught at his rim, and the feeling was so incredible, to experience this again after all this time, that Jack suddenly stiffened, and came without his cock ever being touched. He got the feeling that he'd never come this hard, a big part of his arousal fuelled by the touching knowledge how much consideration and ingenuity Ianto had shown him with this.

He crashed down onto the bed, his whole body trembling, and he barely felt Ianto carefully easing the toy out of him. He couldn't stop the wince as the big knot was pulled out, but he didn't care. He was too euphoric to care for anything, not even the wet spot on the bed he was lying in.

Save one thing.

He looked over his shoulder at Ianto, and caught a glimpse of his weeping erection. Invitingly, Jack spread his legs. “Come on,” he rasped. “Take me.”

Ianto didn't argue as he probably might have under normal circumstances, but now he seemed much too desperate to come. So he blanketed Jack with his body, and slid back inside the loosened hole. “Take what you need,” Jack moaned when the head of Ianto's cock bumped against his prostate.

In this position, there wasn't much room for hard and fast thrusts, so Ianto simply ground deeply into Jack, circling his hips almost roughly. This ripped another, weaker orgasm from the Captain, and Ianto buried himself one last time in Jack as deep as he could, then he cried out brokenly, and came as well. Completely exhausted, Ianto collapsed onto Jack, bringing his elbows on either side of Jack's head for leverage so as not to crush his lover. Panting, he pressed his forehead against Jack's shoulder, and simply concentrated on his breathing for a while, all the time still nestled deeply inside Jack.

“What sort of dildo was that?” Jack eventually asked after both of their breathing had almost turned to normal again. 

“Did some research yesterday,” Ianto explained sluggishly, his Welsh accent now stronger than ever which Jack found pretty endearing not to say incredibly hot (one of these days he had to convince Ianto to only speak Welsh during sex – it surely would be an amazing experience). “Found this wolf dildo on the internet. You won't believe it, but there really is a fetish for something like that.”

At that, Jack perked up with interest. “Really? Why?”

Groaning, Ianto stiffly sat up, and carefully pulled out of Jack. “I don't know,” he confessed, while he got rid of the condom. “I just thought...”

Jack turned around, and saw him shrug. Hesitantly, and peculiarly shy, Ianto peeked at him. “Was it good? Did... did it help?”

Jack held out his hand, and drew Ianto down against his body when the younger man took his hand. “Oh yeah,” he said wholeheartedly. “I never would have imagined that there is something like this today. God, I love this planet! If I'd only known earlier...” He looked down at Ianto who sleepily raised his head from Jack's shoulder to return the gaze. An amused, loving smile quirked at Jack's lips. “Trust you to find it.”

“Well, Sir, there's nothing to thorough research,” Ianto replied drily. 

Jack laughed, and kissed Ianto's forehead exuberantly, then craned his neck even further to kiss him on the lips.

“Surely, I will never forget that now,” he said when they separated after quite a time of lazy, filthy kissing. 

“You better not,” Ianto retorted deadpan. 

In a little while, he really had to take a closer look at this amazing toy Ianto had found, but for now, he was content to simply lay here, enjoying the afterglow of fantastic sex. And more importantly, he could enjoy it together with Ianto.

Actually sleepy for a change, he tightened his hold on this amazing young man in his arms, and allowed sleep to claim him.

 

“Jack?”

Jack startled, and dropped the little plastic bottle he held in his hands. It tumbled onto the table with a loud, hollow noise.

“Ianto,” he breathed shakily, and picked up the bottle once more with trembling fingers. “Shouldn't you take care of our friend here?” he asked nonchalantly, nodding to the dead blowfish on the autopsy table that had to be taken down to cold storage for the time being until Owen found the time for the autopsy after all this excitement tonight.

“That's why I'm here,” he replied impassively, and raised a questioning eyebrow. “The question is; what are you doing down here?”

He tried to hide the bottle unobtrusively behind his back, but Ianto had seen it already of course. The younger man strode down the stairs, and only stopped right before Jack. “What's in the bottle?”

“Nothing.”

Ianto raised a reprimanding eyebrow. “Jack... I think you owe me a little truth here at least.”

Pouting stubbornly, Jack finally relented, and put the bottle in Ianto's outstretched hand. The young man's eyes widened when he read the label. “Poison?!” he exclaimed, and Jack quickly put a hand over his mouth to silence him.

“Shh, I don't want the others to hear.”

“Why don't you want them to know that you plan to kill yourself?” Ianto asked sharply after Jack had taken away his hand from his mouth. 

“Who says it's me I want to kill? Maybe I need it for something else,” Jack tried, but one fierce look from Ianto made him snap his mouth shut.

“The truth, remember.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat, and he took a deep breath. He wouldn't get out of this one. “I... I want to take the poison to get rid of... of the thing inside of me...”

Ianto blinked for a moment, then comprehension dawned in him because his eyes widened in shock. “You're pregnant,” he breathed astonished, and his gaze flitted between Jack's face and his flat stomach.

“Yes.”

“Whose...” But Ianto couldn't keep on talking. If he was honest with himself, he didn't want to know. And if Jack wanted to get rid of this child so desperately, he didn't want to think about the implications concerning the conception of the baby. 

But before they could continue this highly uncomfortable conversation, Tosh's voice drifted down to them, informing them of a Rift alert.

They looked at each other for a second. Jack pressed his lips tightly together, and put the bottle back. “Later,” he promised, and Ianto nodded tightly.

 

After they'd seen John Hart off, Jack sent them home, once more reminding them sharply to avoid themselves this night until the timeline had righted itself again. Only Ianto stayed with Jack, stubbornly planting himself on the bonnet of Jack's car when the Captain let himself fall heavily into the driver's seat, peeking hesitantly up at Ianto.

“We need to talk.”

“Ianto... please...”

“No. Now.”

Jack sighed wearily, but relented with a nod.

“It's gone, isn't it?”

He nodded once more. “Would have preferred the poison than being thrown from a twenty-storey-building,” he muttered bitterly. He would have liked to let the matter rest with that, but he agreed with Ianto; he owed him at least an explanation.

Wearily, he rose again, and gingerly took Ianto's hand in his. “Come with me,” he pleaded, and gave him a nudge in the direction of the passenger seat. Ianto complied without protest, and let himself fall into the car seat while Jack started the car.

The drive to Ianto's flat, the only place they could avoid their other selves until tomorrow, was spend in tense silence.

Tense from unquenched need that was.

Although they'd agreed to go on this date and therefore approaching things slowly, in this moment, they needed each other, the comfort and closeness of each other.

As soon as the door had closed behind them, they stripped wordlessly down to their underwear, and once in the bed, Jack immediately pulled Ianto tightly against him.

“Where have you been, Jack?” Ianto asked after a while during which they'd simply laid in each other's arms, soaking up body heat.

Cold breath from Jack's heavy sigh tickled Ianto's shoulder. “Like I said; I found my Doctor.”

“But...”

“But...” 

Once he started speaking, he couldn't stop. Jack told Ianto everything. Told him of the end of the Universe, of Martha, of Utopia... of Saxon, of the Valiant... of the Year That Never Was... of the tortures... of the rapes... of his two pregnancies on board the ship because he had gone into heat without his suppressants, and of the third pregnancy right before the end of this cursed year.

“I don't know who it was from,” he whispered. “I think the last one was the Master's because these last few days he was the only one who... but the other two, I don't know who sired them. Doesn't matter anyway, they didn't exist for long. The first one vanished shortly after I noticed the pregnancy because I was tortured to death once more. And the second one lasted two months. The Master noticed, and cut it out of me, all the while telling me what a freak I am.”

Horrified, Ianto tightly pressed his lips to Jack's, quickly deepening the kiss to comfort him as well as to prevent him from going on. It simply was too painful to hear what had happened to Jack.

“I wish I had been there with you,” Ianto finally declared when he pulled back from Jack again.

But Jack shook his head. “I'm glad you weren't. I would have lived in constant fear for your safety. I was already afraid enough for Martha's family. To know that you would have been up there with this madman... He would have used us against each other, would have forced you to hurt me... and would have forced you to watch.”

Ianto swallowed. He didn't want to even think about being forced to watch his lover get tortured or... or worse. “But you wouldn't have been alone,” he stated stubbornly to which Jack had to smile gently at him. He tenderly caressed Ianto's cheek.

“You're too good to me. I don't deserve you, Ianto Jones.”

“I think that's for me to decide, Sir.”

Jack didn't say anything, just nodded, and instead curled up against Ianto's body, trying to wrap himself as much around him as possible.

He silently wept when he felt Ianto's protective arms tightening around him.

 

The next morning, Jack blinked the sleep form his eyes, and looked around groggily. He'd actually slept, the first time in many months, and now he felt a little hung over as well as pretty rested. His gaze settled on Ianto who laid next to him, propped up on one elbow. He watched Jack calmly.

“Hey,” he softly said, and Ianto smiled at him slightly distracted. “What's the matter?” He couldn't hide the concern that crept into his voice, and propped himself up as well.

Frowning, Ianto laid his hand against Jack's cheek, then put it on his chest. “You're awfully warm,” he stated seriously.

Jack sighed when he realised that Ianto was right. He closed his eyes for a moment.

“Your heat's coming up, isn't it?”

“Yeah,” he answered dejectedly. “I took my suppressants yesterday, and although they work fast, they don't work _that_ fast. It's too late, they won't stop my heat completely. I hadn't realised it was time again. All this mess with time shifting made me lose track of my cycle.” He shook his head ruefully. “Every time I die, the suppressants are flushed from my system. It's really quite annoying.”

He opened his eyes again when Ianto put his hand on his cheek once more. The younger man looked at him reassuringly. “It doesn't matter. I will stay with you again, of course.”

Sighing heavily, Jack lay back down, and stared up at the white ceiling. “It won't be like last time,” he tried to explain. “It will be more... intense. And since my hormones will go haywire, this will trigger my Alpha side as well. It may happen that I become more... aggressive.” He looked up at Ianto imploringly. “I don't want to endanger you.”

But Ianto simply returned his gaze calmly. “I will stay with you, Jack. It's my choice. You need me.”

Jack sighed, and once more looked up to the ceiling. “Yes,” he admitted. “I do.”

 

They decided to hole themselves up in Ianto's flat during Jack's heat. They had more peace and quiet there than in the Hub, and it was way more comfortable.

“What do we tell the others?” Ianto'd asked this morning at which Jack had frowned in contemplation. Then he shrugged eventually. “I'll call them in a few since I'm not in the mood to deal with them right now face to face. Plus, on the phone, they, or rather Gwen, won't get suspicious so fast, and worst case, I can hang up on her.”

“And tell her what?” Ianto asked with a raised eyebrow.

Another shrug. “Important mission came up.”

“Oh which you took your General Support Officer instead of your Second in Command or your medic.” The eyebrow went up again.

“On which I took my archivist,” Jack corrected firmly.

“They'll never believe that.”

“Of course not, but frankly, I don't care, they have to accept it. The girls'll probably think we need time to ourself together after... well...” Jack lowered his gaze bashfully.

“It's okay, Jack. And you're probably right. Owen probably won't, but in his case _I_ don't care what he thinks of us.”

Jack had grunted at that in agreement, and here they were again, back after an extensive shopping trip, laden with provisions to tide them over for a few days.

Then, an uneasy silence settled over them after Ianto'd put away the food, and Jack had called the Hub, keeping the call as brief as possible, and ending it with surprisingly less discussion and protesting questions than he'd thought.

“Are you hungry?” Ianto asked awkwardly while standing at his kitchen counter a little lost, and uncharacteristically started to fiddle with the sleeve of his shirt.

“Not really. My stomach feels a little queasy. But that's normal.”

“Okay.” Ianto nodded. 

They remained silent for a further few minutes, then Jack reached out to Ianto. The younger man took his hand, and let himself be led through the flat into his bedroom. Being over each other the minute they were through the door the last time they'd been in this situation, now they were both timid, almost shy. Always being acutely aware of the other's presence in the room, they silently shed their clothes, and Ianto followed Jack into bed. There, the older man brought his arms around him, and plastered his burning body against Ianto's side to curl up against him, his head on Ianto's chest. The younger man was surprised about these actions, but glad. He wasn't really in the mood for sex at the moment. He imagined that Jack's instincts would take over soon enough, but for now, he was content to simply enjoy the other man's closeness.

Only a short while later, Jack became indeed restless, and Ianto could feel his awakening hardness pressed against his hip.

“I'm sorry,” Jack mumbled into his shoulder.

Incredulous, Ianto blinked down at him. “What for?”

“For putting you through all this.”

With gentle force, Ianto shoved Jack away so that he could sit up. A little indignant, he stared at Jack. “I told you; I'm honoured to do this for you... What's the matter? Why are you suddenly so... I don't know... scrupled?”

Jack sat up as well, and immediately drew his knees against his chest, hugging them tightly. He wouldn't meet Ianto's eyes. “I don't know,” he confessed.

Ianto worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “Is it because of your time on board the Valiant?”

Jack shrugged clumsily, and still wouldn't look at Ianto. “Yes. I think so. I... I haven't experienced much kindness there.” Another shrug. “I'm damaged goods,” he said so soft that Ianto had to strain to hear him.

“And you think I'm not!?” he flared up. “I haven't had to endure the things you had, but don't you think losing Lisa hasn't left me broken as well?”

Abashed, Jack lowered his eyes. “I'm sorry,” he whispered again.

This small, lost “sorry” was what drew home to Ianto how broken Jack really had been left by this year. His heart went out to him, and so he reached out, and drew him into his arms.

Grateful, Jack soaked up his warmth and care, and for a long time, they simply sat like that. Until Jack's body betrayed him once again, and he started to squirm in Ianto's arms.

“Your proximity and your smell trigger my heat,” he mumbled apologetically, slightly tetchy for it was clear that he had other things on his mind at the moment than sex.

“Then... shall we?” Ianto grimaced. “Bugger. This sounded like we're dealing here with a necessity.”

Jack laughed humourlessly. “Unfortunately, it is. Normally, it's just a whole lot more fun. Especially now that I have you.”

Ianto smiled at him, and before Jack could say something else, he kissed him.

From that on, Jack quickly responded more and more enthusiastically, and gradually, the mood rose between them for the first time that evening. Jack left it to Ianto to take the lead, and so the younger man set about doing anything in his power to distract Jack from his gloomy thoughts, and to let him have a good time.

He practically worshipped Jack's body with hands and lips, starting at his mouth, then working his way down to his collarbones and to his chest. There, Jack gasped in excitement, when Ianto worried his nipples with teeth and tongue, before he went further down. Jack pushed his hips up against Ianto's chest to desperately seek friction, but Ianto ignored his burning erection. Only when he was finished with Jack's upper body to his satisfaction did he move lower, and buried his face in Jack's crotch. He deeply inhaled the other man's musky smell, and playfully nudged his hard shaft with his nose.

“Ianto, please,” Jack sobbed, and finally, Ianto had mercy on him. Briskly, he took Jack into his mouth while he rolled his balls gently between his fingers. He wasn't up yet for deepthroating like Jack had done him, so instead he settled for alternately hard and gentle sucking as well as sliding his lips up and down the hard shaft in a slow, tantalising rhythm. Eventually, the first drops of precome streamed onto Ianto's tongue, so that he let Jack slip from his mouth to eagerly lick up the pearly drops welling from the slit. But he wanted more. He wanted to taste all of Jack.

“Turn around,” he urged, and Jack hastily complied, acting more out of instinct than in awareness. Excited, Ianto spread Jack's cheeks, and drew his fingers up and down the crack playfully. They came away wet with clear fluid. When he took his fingers into his mouth to suck them clean, he moaned at the musky taste, and he went down on Jack in earnest. The older man moaned, and sobbed, and writhed under Ianto while he pushed his tongue into the slick hole to open him up, Jack's taste exploding on Ianto's taste buds. He slowly fucked him with his tongue thoroughly, and although he hadn't done this before, he seemed to do it right given Jack's reactions. 

But after a few more minutes, his jaw started to become tired, and to be truthful, he really just wanted to bury his cock in the tight heat more than anything. So, he sat up, and reached for a condom, hastily rolling it over his aching erection.

Jack noticed his intent, and brought his knees under him, presenting himself to Ianto for better access.

Grabbing Jack's hips tightly, he sheathed himself in one firm stroke. Both men moaned as Ianto slid into the incredible tightness with ease, and he only stopped when he couldn't go any deeper. Jack pushed back onto his cock the last few millimetres, so that he finally was buried to the hilt. He needed a moment to adjust to the feeling, but when he felt that he wouldn't come the second he started to move, he drew back slightly, only to plunge back into Jack. From then on, he set a slow, but firm, hard rhythm that had the older man writhing and moaning in ecstatic agony, begging him to go faster and even harder. 

Ianto complied for the “harder” part, but he didn't up his tempo. 

“Do you want the dildo?” Ianto asked breathlessly, when his thrusts started to become erratic in his impending orgasm, and Jack couldn't be far behind.

“Later,” Jack choked out. “Only you for now.”

Ianto nodded although Jack couldn't see him, and finally drove himself faster into his lover, hitting Jack's prostate with every other thrust when the hitched breaths the other man took every time he did were any indication.

It wasn't long before Jack came with a choked cry without his cock even being touched, he was that sensitive at the moment, the contractions of his passage triggering Ianto's own orgasm. Ianto held onto Jack's hips for dear life while he rode out the waves of ecstasy, surely leaving the bronze-coloured skin bruised.

They collapsed together in a heap onto the bed, for now simply lying there spooned against each other, trying to catch their breath.

 

But only a short while later, Jack stirred against Ianto, so the younger man knew that Jack's instincts once again started to take over. He pulled Jack tighter against him for the moment before he whispered in his ear, “I want you to fuck me.”

Jack shivered as Ianto's dark, husky voice poured over him like warm honey, but before he could answer with a heart-felt “yes”, he stopped himself. Carefully, he turned around in Ianto's arms to look at him seriously, barely holding himself in check to not simply pounce on Ianto.

“Listen... maybe it's not such a good idea for me to top.”

“Why not?”

“Well... Before, I couldn't ever top nearing my heat, or even during it. The knot would have been a bit obvious.”

“I know. But now, you're with me,” Ianto argued confused. “You don't have to hide from me. Ever. You know that.”

“Yeah, but that's not the point, Ianto. I don't want to hurt you.”

“I'm confident that you'll be careful,” Ianto retorted stubbornly. 

Jack rolled his eyes. “Of course I'll be careful, but even with enough preparation, it will hurt. Your body isn't made to receive a knot, and you can't imagine what it's like. God... we should have tried the toy some time before all this...”

Ianto cleared his throat, and suddenly, his cheeks became flaming red. “I have,” he mumbled.

Jack froze, and stared at him dumbstruck. “W-what?”

He cleared his throat once more, and looked Jack firmly in the eye. “I've tried it. When you were away.”

Jack blinked at him owlishly for a few further seconds, then, spontaneously, he leaned forward, and kissed Ianto enthusiastically. “Ianto Jones, you are a marvel!” he laughed when he drew back, but then he became serious once more.

At the same time, Ianto noticed how tightly Jack's body was wound. It had to cost him immense self-control to hold himself in check.

“And?”

Ianto shrugged. “Granted, it was pretty difficult doing this alone.”

At this, Jack involuntarily sighed in relief which made Ianto's heart skip a beat – he hadn't known Jack Harkness could be so passively jealous. It was cute somehow.

“So, I think it will be easier with you. It... it hurt a bit to pull it out again, but that won't be the matter with you, right? Your knot will go down after climax.”

“Yes. But it could hurt nonetheless. What if my instincts take over? Maybe I won't be able to differ between your body and an Omega's any more. An Omega can take sex with an Alpha much better since it's natural for him or her.”

“Maybe. But I'll take the risk.” Ianto glared stubbornly at Jack who sighed eventually, his tightly strung shoulders sagging in defeat. “Okay. But I'm in control for this. If I decide it's too much, we will stop. Understood!”

Ianto nodded meekly. “Yes, all right.”

Trembling slightly in excitement and, yes, fear, Ianto reached out to pull Jack into a messy kiss which lasted for long minutes, rousing and fuelling their arousal for good this time.

“How do you wanna do this?” Ianto asked breathlessly, and moaned when Jack's wandering hands flicked his nipples.

“Hands and knees. 'T will be easier for you.”

Ianto eagerly complied, and turned around, awaiting Jack's next actions with bated breath.

Nonetheless, he jumped slightly when Jack's fingers suddenly touched his entrance, the lube on his fingers shockingly cold.

“Shh, relax,” Jack crooned, and bend down to press a kiss to the small of Ianto's back when he pushed one finger in, then he licked up the sweat beading on Ianto's back with a wicked grin. The younger man moaned, but which of his actions was the source for this reaction, Jack couldn't say. He added a second finger, and crooked them slightly because he wanted to hear the younger man moan again. His fingers graced Ianto's prostate suddenly, and there it was, the deep moan that send shivers of arousal down Jack's spine. He continued to fuck him with two fingers for a while, playfully torturing Ianto constantly when gracing his prostate so that he could soak up the younger man's arousing moans and whimpers. But since this fuelled his own arousal, Jack became impatient and restless once more. So he added a third, and finally a fourth finger to stretch Ianto as much as possible. 

In the end, he had to stop. He  _needed_ to take him now, so he pulled out his fingers gently, and coated his cock with lube. His hands shook so much that half of it landed on the mattress, but he didn't care.

Shakily, he lined himself up, but stopped before his rock-hard cock breached the still tight ring of muscle.

“I'm sorry,” Jack ground out through clenched teeth. “The knot makes a condom impossible.”

“It's all right,” Ianto assured him. His voice sounded impatient and strained, and his whole body trembled in fearful anticipation. “Just do it. After all, I asked you to.”

“I'm sorry,” Jack repeated. “But I promise I haven't been with anyone else.”

Well, he had, against his will, but any disease he might have carried away had been reverted anyway after the last death.

“Fuck me already, Harkness!” Ianto snapped which earned him a strangled laugh from Jack.

But he stopped arguing, and instead carefully pushed forward. He held his breath at the incredible sight of his cock slipping into Ianto's tight ass, and he put a shaking hand on Ianto's hip to steady them both. His knot was already swelling rapidly. It wouldn't take much for him to come.

He was acutely aware of the small, painful whimpers Ianto made as his engorging shaft was forced into the younger man, and stifling remorse cut through the fog of lust clouding his mind.

“I can still pull out,” he offered, but Ianto shook his head vigorously before he led it hang down between his trembling shoulders, taking in shaky, deep breaths.

“No!”

“Your body isn't made for this,” Jack tried to back-pedal, not sure he could pull this through when he felt how incredibly tight Ianto's passage stretched around him, and it would only get worse the more his knot swelled. It was almost painful despite the pleasure. It had to be even more painful for Ianto, no matter how well he'd stretched him beforehand. And his knot wasn't even halfway there. 

“I don't care,” Ianto replied stubbornly, sucking in a sharp breath when he felt the knot at the base of Jack's cock swelling constantly, the feeling so different from a piece of silicone that he sucked in a shocked breath. “This is about your needs.” 

“I could hurt you...” Jack argued weakly, feeling the overwhelming sensations of pushing his knot deep inside another body take a hold of him, almost driving him out of his mind, and overriding all of his concerns. It hat been so long... 

In a dirty move, Ianto pushed back forcefully, impaling himself more deeply on Jack's cock. They both cried out, Ianto in stubborn pain, and Jack in pleasure.

Jack tried to argue once more, but his whole body was shaking apart with lust, and he couldn't form coherent words any more. Closing his eyes in pleasure, he drew back, and firmly pushed in again. And again, and again. Every time, his knot forced itself slightly deeper into Ianto's body while he managed to scrape together the last ounces of clear thought he had left. Curling a shaking hand around Ianto's cock, he started to jerk him off while he still could. After a few more jerky thrusts against his prostate though, Ianto suddenly cried out in climax. In the same moment, Jack forced his knot fully through the ring of Ianto's anal muscles, and he stilled. His orgasm washed over him like a tsunami while his cock was locked deep inside his lover's contracting passage, shooting jet after jet of come into him.

Ianto breathed out shakily, trying to hold absolutely still throughout Jack's orgasm. His whole body seemed on fire, the pain almost blocking the rapidly recceeding pleasure of his orgasm. It hurt so much when Jack's knot had forced itself into his body and locked tight. It wasn't like the toy, this had been nothing against the real thing.

Ianto whimpered when Jack's cock jerked, and another burst of come shot inside of him. Despite everything, it felt unbelievably erotic in a dirty, primitive way.

He didn't know how long they stayed poised like that, both of them too afraid to really move for fear of hurting Ianto further, Ianto's body on the verge of collapsing, but suddenly, he felt the knot deflate the tiniest bit, and within the next few minutes, it had gone down completely so that Jack slipped safely from his passage. He slumped into the pillows in exhaustion, not really caring when Jack pulled apart his buttocks to check for injury.

“Seems all right,” he declared eventually.

“Yeah,” Ianto mumbled in reply.

“How're ya feelin'?”

“Sore, but a good kind of sore,” he amended hastily to forestall any guilt Jack might feel. He'd asked him to do this. There was nothing to regret and nothing to feel guilty about. But he sighed in relief nonetheless when Jack simply curled up behind him, utterly spent himself for the moment, and buried his nose in Ianto's neck.

 

They slept for a little while, and when Ianto woke up in the early hours of dawn, he dragged his aching body from the bed to fetch them something to eat and drink.

Jack stirred when he returned, and gratefully accepted the hastily put together sandwiches as well as the bottle of water. For a little while, they ate together in peaceful silence, sitting slumped and exhausted propped up against the headboard, but all too soon, Ianto suddenly felt Jack's body that was pressed tightly against his side getting hotter again, and his pheromones cloying the air around them. He shivered when a spark of arousal flitted through his own body at this overpowering attack on his senses, but at the same time, he felt trepidation welling up inside him. Jack had told him that even though he'd taken his suppressants slightly too late, this wasn't a full blown heat. Normally, he would be much more needy and randy, and it would last way longer, worst case even up to a week. So, since he barely managed to keep up as it was now, he wondered what the real thing would be like... but to be honest, he really didn't want to experience this, ever. Ianto knew perfectly well that he would never be able to keep up with Jack the whole time during a full-blown heat. Jack was right, his body wasn't made for a heat, but nonetheless, he would pull through with this for Jack's sake. His lover needed his help, and that was that. End of discussion.

His resolve steeled, he calmly put their plates aside, and drew Jack into his arms to kiss him. The Captain breathed out a grateful, needy sigh into his mouth, and that alone was enough for Ianto to put all trepidations and doubts aside to solely focus on Jack's needs.

They kissed for a good long while, the kiss turning messier and more forceful with every passing second while their hands never stayed idle in the meantime. When they broke apart, Jack had crawled into Ianto's lap, and straddled his thighs. When he instinctively started to rub and grind his ass against Ianto's thighs, leaving a slick trail of fluid on Ianto's skin, the younger man knew how this round would play out.

But before Ianto could reach out towards the night stand for a condom, a needy, warning growl made him freeze. He looked Jack in the eye, and gulped when he met the Captain's gaze. His eyes were glassy, non-seeing, but there shone a savage gleam in them. In a possessive movement, Jack tightened his grip around Ianto, and pushed him down onto the mattress. The younger man pliantly let himself be manhandled to Jack's satisfaction. He wasn't stupid, he realised that so far into his heat, Jack was much too far gone to be reasonable. Ianto hadn't expected this level of base instinctual behaviour, but now that he was confronted with it, he had to tread carefully lest Jack really hurt him should he put up a struggle.

As if in a daze, Jack descended onto Ianto, leaving biting kisses scattered all over his body, presumably to stake his claim on him. Ianto arched up into Jack’s mouth with a gasp when the older man sharply bit into his neck, probably even breaking the skin there. But he did nothing to stop Jack. As long as the older man didn’t hurt him seriously, Ianto wouldn’t put a stop to this. And if it should come that far… well, Ianto was more than capable to take Jack on, and put him in his place if need be.

And as it happened, a few moments later, when Jack firmly gripped Ianto’s thighs to spread them even more, he gripped Jack’s cock firmly and unrelentingly to stop the other man from simply shoving his cock into him. He’d really like a bit of control here again, thanks. It had hurt enough the first time.

Jack let out a noise that was half growl, half whine, but stayed absolutely still. “Ianto,” he whined, and Ianto had to snort at that.

“Oh, you still with us,” he taunted good-naturedly yet not without a certain amount of sarcasm.

Jack answered him with a breathless, pitiful “please”, and buried his nose in the crook of Ianto’s neck.

In a quick, decisive move, Ianto suddenly flipped them both over so that Jack came to lie on his back once more. He stared up at Ianto defiantly with a snarl, and for a moment, he struggled under Ianto’s weight, but since the younger man wouldn’t budge, he eventually settled down, his whole body relaxing suddenly in compliancy in the face of Ianto's demonstration of dominance. He slightly bucked his hips up, his cock rubbing against Ianto's ass demandingly, but then, he suddenly spread his thighs as much as he could with Ianto straddling him, and he reached for Ianto's cock with a pleading whimper.

And in this moment, Ianto was confronted full force with the difficulty of Jack’s nature; his Alpha and Omega side warring with each other. He clearly sensed  – and felt  – Jack’s need to claim, to possess him, but at the same time, there was another undercurrent of need; the need to  _be_ claimed.

Ianto frowned down at him, and suddenly came to a decision. He was nothing if not creative; his co-workers would be shocked at how kinky he could be. After a certain time of being initiationed, nowadays it was him who came up with a good proportion of the daring things they did together in bed. Once awakened, it was as if this new side of him couldn't be supressed any more.

Determined, he leaned over to the bedside drawer, and pulled forth the special dildo they had used all these months ago.

Ianto scooted down slightly on Jack's legs, and slipped between his thighs. He met Jack's gaze which flitted between Ianto's face and they toy in his hand. He nodded eagerly, and spread his legs even wider. With sure hands, Ianto brought the toy down between Jack's cheeks, and firmly pushed  it in in one go. Jack cried out brokenly as the thick piece of silicone breached him mercilessly, his whole body trembled like a leaf.

“That's right,” Ianto cooed while care ssing Jack's hip soothingly. “Just relax.”

Jack nodded shakily, his breath coming heavily, and sweat was pouring from his body, making it shine alluringly in the dim light.

After fucking his lover with the toy tantalisingly slow for a few minutes without ever forcing the knot into Jack's body, Ianto made sure that the dildo would stay locked inside Jack before straddling the older man once more. Gritting his teeth, and trying to relax as much as he could, Ianto sank down onto Jack's cock again. The Captain cried out brokenly as he was assaulted with the dual pleasures of being on the receiving end as well as being the one who penetrated. For a few moments, he was paralysed, the only thing he was capable of just now was trying to draw in heaving breaths while he clutched Ianto's hips so tightly that the younger man would surely carry away finger-shaped bruises. As for Ianto, he moaned softly when Jack's cock forced itself through the still losened ring of muscle and into his slick channel. It hurt less now, but he still felt so unbeleavably full. He'd never felt as connected to another human being than in these moments when he made love with Jack.

They both took some time to adjust, but eventually, Ianto leaned back on one hand, and brought the other behind him and down again between Jack's legs where the dildo still stuck obscenely from Jack's hole. Bracing himself, he gave the toy an experimental push while slowly circling his hips at the same time. Jack's hips snapped up at the sensations, burying himself deep inside Ianto, and hitting his prostate dead on.

It was slightly awkward to coordinate, and in this position, his arm and thighs started to ache already, but Ianto was determined to pull this through; he would give Jack what he needed if it was in his powers to provide it.

Although he tried to be a little more active, Jack couldn't. He was trembling heavily, out of his mind with lust, and the only thing he could do was relinquish control to Ianto completely.

He cried out sharply when finally, finally, Ianto forced the knot into his body, and at the same time, the younger man dropped down in Jack's lap with his whole weight so that Jack's knot popped through the tight ring of his anal muscles.

They both came at the same time, holding on tightly to each other in a trembling embrace while the waves of their orgasms roared over them, sweeping them away, and the only thing keeping them from drowning was the hold they had on each other.

Mindful of his knot still stuck inside Ianto, this time, Jack carefully laid both of them down, trying not to jostle Ianto too much so that he wouldn't hurt him further. In one move, he pulled the toy from his body, trying not to wince. When Ianto had to endure pain because of Jack's needs, then he himself could stand it as well. It  was the least he could do to somehow repay all of what Ianto had done for him. 

Lovingly, he kissed his younger lover, and ran soothing hands over Ianto's trembling, sweat-soaked body while the younger man simply tried to catch his breath again, and Jack's body jerked in renewed orgasm now and then, filling him over and over with come.

After ten minutes, his knot had gone down enough that he could pull out carefully. Ianto winced nonetheless, and Jack rubbed his shoulders soothingly, while carefully nudging Ianto over onto his stomach. Sitting up, Jack gently pried Ianto's buttocks apart to check for injury. He had to swallow heavily, and his cock gave a weak, renewed twitch at the sight of the red-rimmed, clenching hole which oozed sticky come. Jack had to supress the urge to slide once more into his lover, even if only with his fingers to seal the come inside his body. He shook the tought off with a shudder when he had to recall that Ianto wasn't an Omega but a normal twenty-first century male. He couldn't become pregnant even if every Alpha instinct in Jack screamed at him to impregnate his mate.

Jack stilled. His mate? Was Ianto his mate? Sure, the younger man meant a lot to him, but...

“Jack?” Ianto asked sleepily, jolting the Captain from his confusing musings. As if on auto-pilot, he caressed the small of Ianto's back, and then bend down to gently kiss one buttock, before he climbed from the bed on unsteady legs. 

“Try to sleep a bit,” he said before disappearing into the bathroom to clean up a little. When he emerged with a damp wash cloth, Ianto was barely awake any more. He grunted slightly in protest when Jack cleaned the come from between his cheeks and thighs with the lukewarm, wet cloth, but otherwise didn't stir. Letting the cloth fall over the edge of the mattress unceremoniously (for which Ianto would surely chide him when he was coherent enough again), Jack settled down again, pulling Ianto into his arms, and spooning clesely behind him. 

They dosed for a little while, still bathing in the afterglow when Ianto turned around to him eventually.

“Since you're a hermaphrodite...” he mumbled sleepily, “could you impregnate yourself?”

Jack laughed out loud at how refreshing and free-minded his young lover could be. “I don't know. It's an interesting question. But probably not. You'd have to ask Owen if that is possible.” Jack winked cheekily at him at which Ianto screwed up his nose weakly.

“No, thanks. I think I'll pass.”

“Probably for the better,” Jack chuckled before he yawned heartily, and snuggled up to Ianto. “Now sleep. I think the worst is over.”

Ianto made a non-committal sound, but buried deeper into the pillows.

Within minutes, they were both deeply asleep.

 

They'd finally found a moment of peace in all the deadly chaos, taking refuge in a dusty storeroom up here on the gallery of the old Torchwood One holding facility while Gwen tried to calm down Clem.  They hadn't planned on it, not really, not any more, but after seeing what had happened in Thames House, after seeing what the 456 had done to these children, they had needed a moment alone. And the moment the squeaky door shut behind them, they were all over each other. As it was, all this talk earlier of Jack one day seeing Ianto die, and having to go on had put Ianto into a maudlin mood. They may have been delayed, but now he took the time, he  _demanded_ the time to be with Jack although he was so, so mad at him at the moment as well after learning how much his lover's actions had caused the children to suffer since 1965. But he needed Jack now, no matter what happened, it was that simple. Fuck the rest of the world, fuck the 456, and fuck the government; he, and he hoped Jack did too, needed this precious few moments that could very well be their last together. They could deal with all of this shit tomorrow. After all, the world's always ending indeed...

Jack moaned into Ianto's mouth, finally getting the feeling that the fire burning inside of him since he'd resurrected was being quenched (being shot by Clem earlier hadn't made it better, rather worse). It wasn't a full blown out heat yet, but he hadn't taken his suppressants for a while, and he didn't have access to any. The same went for contraceptives or even condoms, but he was prepared to take the risk. It could very well be the last time he had the chance to be with Ianto ever, he didn't want to spoil this moment with worrying over something like this. He just needed to forget for a while.

He felt himself getting wet, and when Ianto made short work of his trousers, he surrendered all too willingly to the younger man. As if in a frenzy, Ianto pushed him down onto the sturdy office desk shoved into the corner of the room. Jack had to suppress a sneeze when the thick layer of dust coating the desk was swirled up around his face, but these thoughts were forgotten when he felt the head of Ianto's cock nudge his slippery entrance.

“Yes!” he moaned, and pushed back against his lover, feeling the mushroom-shaped head pop through his tightly clenching muscles. At his encouragement, Ianto pressed all the way in until he was buried to the hilt, not thinking farther than laying claim to the man he loved, not caring if the world ended right now around them. Both men moaned loudly, and they stayed still for a few moments to savour the feeling of being connected. But eventually, Jack became restless, and he started to squirm under his lover.

Ianto took the hint, and drew back slightly only to slam in forcefully again. He set a punishing rhythm, relieving all the stress and terror of the last days for them both as well as the anger, the hurt, and the betrayal he still felt at Jack's past actions, and when they both came, their orgasms crashing down on them, and sweeping them away, they slumped together onto the dirty desk afterwards, clinging to each other weakly.

For a few moments, all that could be heard was their harsh breathing until finally, Ianto stood up, slipping from Jack's body, and pulled Jack up to a standing as well.

“We should get back down. Much to do.”

Jack nodded while they made themselves a little bit more presentable again. “Yeah. Then come on.”

The Captain rushed from the room to join the others once more, Ianto hot on his heels.

 

One short moment of not racing through the city and fearing for Earth's fate, instead having a moment of inner equilibrium was enough to know. He felt it almost instantly that he had conceived, felt his hormones change. Jack closed his eyes in regret, in shame, and in grief. He'd known it was a possibility, had known it was inevitable even, and he'd still taken the risk. And now he'd probably condemned this child, just barely a tiny spark of life inside of him to certain death. But he didn't have a choice now. He couldn't let Gwen go in there. And he wouldn't let Ianto go alone. They would face this together, they would end together this shameful set of events Jack had set into motion all those years ago. He threw his lover one last look before reaching Thames House. He briefly considered telling Ianto that he was pregnant, but in the end, he aborted the idea. His lover would only become sick with worry, and in the end would even manage to chain him up somewhere with Gwen's help, and go in there alone, or, Heaven forbid, together with Rhys.

Ianto seemed to sense Jack's gaze on him for he briefly turned his stoic gaze from the road in front of him to smile at him. “It will be all right,” he tried to reassure Jack, both of them actually. “Let's go kick some Alien ass.”

Jack chuckled even if that didn't chase away the painful knots of worry in his stomach.

 

With a soft gasp, Jack woke up. And realised two things at once even before he really knew where he was. One was that he knew that his child was gone. And second... that Ianto was gone, too.

Numbly, he sat up, and spotted Gwen sitting next to him. She smiled at him gently under tears, and then he saw Ianto's still form behind her.

As if on auto-pilot, he struggled up on his knees, instinctively taking Gwen into his arms to give her comfort, but even more for his own sake. Without her body warmth grounding him, he was sure he would break down otherwise. And all the while, he couldn't turn his gaze away from Ianto's still body. He looked so peaceful, as if only sleeping. A choked sob tore from his throat when he reminded himself that his lover would never wake up again. He'd lost so many over the years, but no death had ever hurt as much as this. He felt like clawing his heart out with his bare hands, but instead forced himself to channel his despair and self-loathing to other means. If he couldn't punish himself for being so arrogant to challenge the 456, he at least wanted to do what was right, what Ianto would have wanted. What he had died for.

He wanted revenge.

 

**Epilogue**

“You'll like Ariadne V,” the Doctor cried exuberantly while marching to the TARDIS door. Amy and Rory looked at each other, and smiled fondly, letting their friend prattle on about the beauties of this planet as well as the hospitality of the natives. River, having joined the trio a while ago for a few adventures, marched after them with an equally fond grin.

They almost ran into the Doctor who'd stopped abruptly inside the door, his machine-gun fast dialogue having come to an abrupt stop as well.

“Doctor, what's the matter?” Amy asked, and shoved him out of the way. Only to stop dead in her tracks herself. 

The village in which the TARDIS had materialised had been very pretty, the small round houses looking like a mixture of quaint timber framework and South Pacific native's huts. The houses were still pretty, but the countless bodies strewn on the street destroyed the idyllic picture. An eerie silence hung over the village, not even birds could be heard, and only Rory's shocked outcry of what had happened here, broke the silence.

Suddenly, the Doctor ran away from the TARDIS, kneeling down next to a young woman which, as the Ponds then saw, was still alive. River had her weapons out and secured the area watchfully.

Gently, the Doctor cradled the woman in his arms, but it was apparent that even in the TARDIS infirmary nothing could be done for her any more. She flinched when she opened her eyes and spotted him, but he soothed her with soft, kind words.

“Who did this?” he asked gently. “I promise you that I will find the one responsible for this, but you have to tell me who it was.”

“H-he looked like you,” she mumbled weakly, her pale blue skin becoming paler by the second. 

The Doctor frowned. “You mean he looked like a human?”

She nodded. “He came to us by chance. He was so lost, so sad, I've never felt pain like his.” The natives of Ariadne V were telepathic to a certain degree. “We tried to help him, but then, he suddenly started to kill my friends and family. One after the other.” She broke out into tears, and the Doctor soothed her once more, rocking her gently like a frightened child. She didn't have long now.

“But you were so many, he only one,” Amy threw in. “Why didn't you overpower him?”

“We t-tried. Again and again, but he wouldn't die.”

At this, the Doctor perked up, and his hearts started to ache fiercely. “What did he look like?” he urged her, although, deep inside, he knew.

“He wore a long, grey coat, a-and he was really handsome. Everybody wanted to help him so desperately.”

“I can imagine,” the Doctor growled through clenched teeth, but immediately reigned in his fury when he felt the girl in his arms starting to struggle in distress. He smiled softly down at her. “I know who he is. I promise that I will find him.”

The tension suddenly left her body, and she smiled in relief. “Thank you...”

 

“What did you mean, _you know_ this bastard?!” Amy demanded after they'd erected a huge pyre, and burned the bodies of the natives, the four of them keeping a grim, devastated silence while doing this. Equally as silent, they had watched it burn, even if the stench of burning flesh was almost overwhelming, and the smoke burned in their eyes and lungs.

The Doctor sighed, and led them back to the TARDIS. “He's an old friend of mine.”

“A _friend_?!” Amy gaped. 

“You mean like the Master?” River asked suddenly sardonically, and pointedly raised one eyebrow.

The Doctor couldn't look her in the eye, so he lowered his gaze in shame. “No. He was still a friend the last time I saw him although he had every reason to hate me... Jack had to endure so much because of me, but he still believed in me.”

River gasped. “You mean Captain Jack Harkness?!”

He nodded.

“Okaaay, clueless people here,” Amy chimed in. “Who is Captain Jack Harkness?”

“We travelled together for a while... until something happened...”

“Something happens all the time with you around, Doctor, so that's not really helpful.”

“Jack Harkness became immortal,” River took over from the Doctor. “The Daleks killed him, but Rose Tyler, having absorbed the Vortex and thus becoming an almighty being, resurrected him. He can't die ever since.”

“And who's Rose Tyler?” Rory asked, and River just wanted to draw breath to enlighten her father, and then scold the Doctor for leaving his companions in the dark, when the Time Lord spoke again.

“That's not important at the moment. We have to find Jack.” The Doctor grimly marched over to the TARDIS control. “She can find him although she hates being near him.” He shot a look at Amy that shut her up when she wanted to ask why the TARDIS hated someone.

“If he's as unpredictable as that girl said, then I'd rather know beforehand why he suddenly went on a killing-spree.” River crossed her arms before her chest, and looked pointedly at her husband.

The Doctor returned her gaze, then he nodded tiredly. “All right.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“Shortly before I regenerated. I visited all of my current companions to say goodbye.” The Doctor frowned. “I found him in an alien bar in Galaxy Six. Why wasn't he on Earth at the time?”

“We should ask someone,” Amy decided.

“Then we'll pay Martha a visit.” The Doctor nodded at his own decision, and set the TARDIS controls.

“Oh wow, now you introduce us to your old companions,” Amy grumbled, but the Doctor ignored her.

 

A few minutes later, they stepped out of the TARDIS into a living room where they were already awaited by two people. The man standing behind the woman stared stonily at the Doctor, while the woman was torn between a glare and happiness to see him.

“Hello Martha. Mickey.” The Doctor smiled timidly at them.

“Where have you been?” Martha asked straightforward.

“Ehm, I...” The Doctor blinked.

“Did you think, new regeneration so, hey, I can consider my old life finished, including my friends?!” Martha snapped.

“I'm sorry. Really.”

Martha made a disgusted noise, and, ignoring the Doctor, came over to the others. “Hi. I'm Martha Jones...”

“Smith,” Mickey corrected her, rolling his eyes fondly.

Martha smiled a little sheepishly. “Smith, yeah, and that's my husband Mickey.”

“Nice to finally meet some of the Doctor's friends. I'm Amy Pond. My husband Rory, and our daughter River.”

The Smiths didn't even bat an eye that River looked much too old to be the daughter of this young couple.

“We're here because of Jack Harkness,” River explained, not beating around the bush in her straightforward manner.

This made both Martha and Mickey grimace painfully, and they threw each other a quick, sad glance. “He's gone. Left Earth one year ago.”

“Why?” the Doctor asked urgently.

Martha's expression turned thunderous. “Because one and a half years ago, Earth was ambushed by aliens called the 456 who demanded ten percent of all the children of the planet. Because Torchwood tried to stop them and the government who wanted to cover up their involvement. And because trying to save Earth, Ianto died, leaving Jack heartbroken.” Martha's voice rose more and more until she almost screamed in the end.

“I'm sure you remember him,” Mickey stated sarcastically when he saw the Doctor's momentary confused look. “Jack's boyfriend? Torchwood's archivist? Fond of suits?” 

The Doctor nodded suddenly in grim comprehension. “And that's why I found Jack in Galaxy Six.”

“Yeah,” Martha spat bitterly. “After six months, he couldn't stay here any longer, it was too much to bear. So he left Earth. We haven't heard from him ever since.”

“But we have,” Rory said sadly, and started to explain what they had encountered on Ariadne V.

There was a shocked silence after he had completed his account.

“W-what are you gonna do?” Martha asked in a choked voice, tears streaming down her face. 

“We have to find him, and stop him.”

“And then?” Martha demanded.

The Doctor sighed. “I don't know. One after the other.”

“If you'd been there, this wouldn't have happened,” Mickey accused the Time Lord who glared back at him in annoyance.

“I'm not Earth's nanny.”

“No, but you have saved us from minor incidents than this, but why not this time. And more important, if you wouldn't constantly disable Jack's Vortex Manipulator, he could have saved Ianto!” Now, Martha was the one glaring at the Doctor, and she wouldn't back down under his stare, not so impressed with him any more as she'd been a few years back.

“I had to,” the Doctor grumbled. “He's much too unpredictable.” 

“He has changed!” Mickey countered exasperated. “He's not the careless, exuberant man we met back then. If you still can't accept that, you're not worth to be his friend. You could at least honour the things he does in your name and the sacrifices he has to suffer.”

The Doctor grimaced. When even Mickey Smith started defending Jack Harkness, then he himself really had fucked up royally. He evaded Mickey's glare in shame, another first, and it wasn't a good feeling to admit his culpability to Mickey Smith of all people.

“Would...” He swallowed heavily. “Would you come with me to find him?”

“Of course we'll come with you,” Martha stated firmly, and resolutely marched over to the TARDIS, Mickey hot on her heels.

The Doctor thought it best not to say anything, so he followed all of his companions into the TARDIS.

Despite the grave circumstances, it nonetheless felt good to have some of his friends back with him.

Obviously, the TARDIS wanted to help Jack as much as the others for he didn't even have to coax her to find him. Within seconds, she had focussed on his vortex signature, showing them the way he'd recently taken. Shocked, the friends had to watch pictures the TARDIS provided them with, showing other planets he'd obviously been on after Ariadne V, leaving a trail of blood and devastation behind there as well.

Only moments later, they materialised on Apollo VII.

Rain poured down heavily on them when they exited the TARDIS, limiting their sight to only a few metres ahead. But they didn't need more anyway because not far from the TARDIS stood Jack. He was completely still, hadn't even reacted to the familiar grinding noise of the TARDIS materialising. He just stood there, his eyes closed, and let the rain batter him in the face. Around him lay numerous bodies. His clothes were torn and blood-soaked, his own as well as that of others, they supposed.

Ianto would have scolded him for the condition of his coat, Martha suddenly thought out of the blue.

She had to bring up every ounce of self-control she had not to storm over to him, and take him in her arms. Instead, since she was the one of the six he would most likely trust, she gingerly took step after step towards him.

“Jack?” she called his name softly so as not to startle him.

Hearing her voice brought a small reaction out of him. Slightly, he opened his eyes, and looked her straight in the eye.

She had to suppress a gasp when the only thing staring back at her was emptiness. Not even despair or hurt, just infinite emptiness. It was as if his soul had died that day together with Ianto.

“I remember that name,” he suddenly said. His voice sounded as empty as his eyes were. Martha had to swallow heavily. She was almost afraid of him. 

“Yes,” she forced out around the lump in her throat. “That's what we call you, remember?” She bit her lip, but decided to take the risk. “It's what Ianto called you.”

A sudden jerk went through his whole body, then he drew in a shaky breath.

“Yes,” he mumbled incredulously. “I remember him.”

She smiled encouragingly at him. “That's good.”

“He's dead,” he stated dispassionately.

Cold dread washed over Martha. “Yes. I'm so sorry.”

“He's the reason I went away,” he suddenly realised in wonder. 

“I suppose,” she mumbled. Tears had started gathering in her eyes that now ran down her cheeks unhindered. “We've come to take you home.”

He slightly cocked his head. “I don't have a home,” he then decided firmly.

“Yes, you have,” Martha contradicted, equally as determined. “Please come back with us.”

“There's nothing for me there.”

She was crying openly now, her desperation almost choking her. “You have us,” she promised him. “We'll be there for you. Me and Mickey and Sarah-Jane and all our other friends.”

“But Ianto's dead,” he replied so as if that should explain it all to her. In a way it did. 

Martha wanted to break out in heaving sobs, she wanted to scream and rant, but she reigned herself in since she had to be strong for Jack's sake.

Carefully, as if reaching out to a hurt animal, she gently took his hand in hers.

He flinched at the contact, but didn't draw back his hand. Wondrously, he looked down at his hand in her smaller one.

Thus encouraged, she bridged the last distance between them, and carefully wrapped her arms around him. He didn't resist when she gently pulled his head down to rest on her shoulder. She felt a soft sigh against her neck, and his body went slightly limp.

“Come back with me,” she whispered in his ear beseechingly, and after a few long moments, he finally mumbled a meek “okay”. 

Relieved beyond words, she held him for a few minutes longer, then, without letting go of him, steered him towards the TARDIS where the others waited patiently.

She jumped when the Doctor suddenly leapt forward, and grabbed Jack by the lapels of his coat, shaking him furiously.

“Why!?” the Doctor yelled desperately, and if his friends hadn't rushed to them immediately to forcefully restrain the Time Lord, he would have given in to the desperate urge to strangle Jack. “Why did you kill all those people for the Gods' sake!?”

For a moment, he struggled in River and Mickey's grip, breathing laboriously while expectantly awaiting an answer.

At first, Jack didn't react to his words. Then, slowly, as if in slow motion, he raised his head, and looked at the Doctor with empty eyes. “I wanted to feel something again.”

The Doctor reared back as if Jack had struck him.

He was so shell-shocked that he didn't put up any resistance as Martha led Jack inside, he just followed without a word.

But inside the safety of the TARDIS, in his own domain, he became self-assured once more. “I want him chained up,” he stated firmly to the others so as if Jack wasn't even there and couldn't hear him.

Mickey spluttered in protest, and Amy let out an indignant “Doctor!”

“He needs our help,” Martha argued, “not for us to chain him up like a criminal.”

“He _is_ a criminal.”

Martha rolled her eyes. “I'm not having this conversation.”

“He's a murderer,” the Doctor seethed.

“And you aren't?”

The Doctor stared at River incredulously. “You too!?”

She shrugged casually. “I'm only saying. You're biased when it comes to him.”

“I'm not,” the Doctor pouted.

“Sure you are,” River countered calmly. “But I have to agree with you. For our and his own safety, he should be restrained. At least until we find a way to help him.”

The Smiths as well as the Ponds gritted their teeth, but the latter trust in their daughter to have a plan. But neither Martha nor Mickey liked the thought of chaining Jack up, especially Martha since she had to involuntarily think back on his time in chains on board of the Valiant (okay, to be fair, at the moment he probably didn't care that much about what happened to him). They rather decided to put all of their energy into helping Jack instead of debating with the Doctor.

Didn't mean they had to like it though.

All the while, Jack had been with them, standing meekly at Martha's side, and he didn't show any indication at all that he cared about what happened to him or what they had to say about him.

Still seething inwardly, Martha resolutely led him from the control room. A few corridors down, a door suddenly slid open, and Martha heeded the TARDIS' prompt to step into this room. She'd provided a bare chamber of medium size. At the far wall there were attached a pair of chains.

“Really cosy here,” Martha grumbled which earned her an annoyed gust of cold air in the face. She ignored it, and led Jack over to the chains. Her heart broke when she had to chain him up, but once more he didn't seem to care.

“Do you need something?” she gently asked, but there was no reply, he only stared ahead with empty eyes. Sighing heavily, she carded her fingers through his wet hair, and pressed a kiss onto his brow.

“I'm back as soon as I can,” she promised. 

Then she fled as fast as she could before she had a break-down in front of him.

 

“And now?” Martha asked when she came back into the control room. Expectantly, she crossed her arms before her chest, and glared inquiringly at the others.

“Now,” River said calmly while setting some of the TARDIS' controls, “we save Ianto Jones.”

“We do what?!” the Doctor spluttered in shock while the others nodded in grim determination.

“We can't save him,” the Doctor insisted. “We can't just run around saving people from death.”

“Oh, but  _ you _ can.” River raised one eyebrow dril y.

“That's different.” The Doctor made a dismissive gesture.

“Why? Because you're a Time Lord?” Rory scoffed. 

“Because I can estimate the consequences of actions like these, you can't,” he answered very dignified. 

“Oh please,” now Mickey scoffed as well. “As if you never fucked up. You're not omnipotent.”

“And which consequences? What can be worse for Jack than suffering this loss. Do you want to keep him here, chained up for all eternity until at the end you will finally find out who will live longer, the TARDIS or Jack who probably will still be there when she has crumbled to dust around him?”

The Doctor gnawed on his bottom lip like a stroppy toddler, but wouldn't meet Martha's eye at this accusation.

“Come on,” Amy coaxed. “Don't tell me Ianto Jones is that important for the big picture that to change his destiny would rip apart the universe.”

The Doctor pressed his lips together unhappily. “He is important to Jack. And Jack Harkness, being a fixed point in time is important to the universe. Therefore, Ianto Jones is important as well. He obviously was supposed to die while defending Earth which decided Jack's further actions.”

“And what exactly is right with the events as they are currently going?!” Martha cried in outrage. “Is he supposed to suffer and bring death to thousands of people? You can't really believe that _this_ shall be Jack's destiny. After all, he... he will become the face of Boe, will he not?”

“Very likely, yes,” the Doctor admitted painfully.

“Then how can we allow that this benevolent being that sacrificed his own life to save countless of people commits such atrocities now because he lost the one he loved? His good deeds can't be based on pain and suffering and death.”

The Doctor drew in a shuddering breath, and looked from one companion to the other. Then, finally, he nodded curtly, and averted his eyes. “All right. Let's go save him.”

With grim satisfaction, River helped the Doctor set the TARDIS controls. “Don't think that we wouldn't have saved him regardless of your decision,” she stated composed.

“I know.”

“Good.”

“And how do we go about it?” Rory chimed in curiously. 

“First, we need to know the exact circumstances of Mr. Jones' death,” the Doctor explained.

“They filmed it,” Mickey threw in suddenly, his voice grave. “The government constantly filmed the 456.” He averted his eyes. “We watched them die. Ianto and Jack, I mean. We watched the video after we'd learned of Ianto's fate.”

He felt Martha's hand slip comfortingly into his, and he squeezed back gratefully.

The others grimaced.

“Then we have no choice, we have to watch this video,” River voiced what all the others were too afraid to speak out loud.

They thought with trepidation of having to watch someone die even if it was on video and had already happened. It was an oppressive, strange thought for those who didn't know Ianto, and a painful re-experience for those who did.

Eerie silence hung over the control room of the TARDIS, non of the assembled even daring to breath too loudly when they watched the dreadful video the TARDIS had provided them from her archives. At some point, Martha and Mickey had to avert their eyes, they simply couldn't watch this again. Amy and Rory were fighting with their tears while watching, and clung to each other for comfort. After all, they knew the pain of losing the one you love first hand.

“Right, now we know the exact coordinates and time we need,” River said energetically after the video had ended, but even her voice sounded slightly hoarse. 

“Yes. It's a matter of seconds, we only have one chance to get this right.” The Doctor nodded.

River smiled drily at him. “And that's why  _I_ will drive, Sweetie.”

The Doctor blew out his cheeks like a grumpy five-year-old. “What do you want to imply with that?!”

He met all of his friends' eyes who stared at him expressionlessly. “What?!”

“You may be a Time Lord, but you are _never_ on time, Doctor, and you know it.” Amy raised her eyebrow challengingly.

The Doctor let out a whoosh of air as if he was a flabby balloon. “Yeah, all right, sometimes I may be a tad off time.”

Mickey grunted. “He calls bringing Rose back one year too late a  _tad_ .”

“Yeah, yeah.” The Doctor became indignant again. “Let's get on with it, why don't we.”

“Already on it,” River said with a flourish, and expertly fine-tuned some of the controls. 

“And pray tell, how do you plan to extract him from Thames House?” the Doctor asked his wife who shrugged nonchalantly at that. 

“We go in with the TARDIS, I teleport outside with my vortex manipulator, bring him back in, and then we have to save him from this virus.” She looked challengingly at Martha who nodded eagerly.

“On my way.” And with that, she started to hurry from the control room to the infirmary.

“Wait!” Rory called, and ran after her. “I'm a nurse. Maybe I can help you.”

She nodded, and smiled gratefully. Then they left.

 

Thanks to the help of the TARDIS, Martha and Rory didn't need long to identify, analyse, and find a cure for the virus that had killed Ianto.

When they came back triumphantly, a syringe full of a clear, emerald liquid grasped tightly in Martha's hand, they were set to go.

“What about the other people trapped in Thames House?” Martha asked quietly, although she knew the answer already.

“No,” the Doctor told her firmly. “I know it's hard for you, but we can't save anybody else. This has to happen.” He grimaced, and suddenly, he had to think back on another catastrophe that he had been part of, had to think back of another companion now lost to him who had begged him to save at least one person, no matter whom, from certain death, and how he had complied, had saved this one family from fire and ashes although he'd sworn not to interfere with a fixed point. He'd done it back then in Pompeii, and he'd do it now. The universe hadn't ended two thousand years ago because he'd saved Caecilius' family, it wouldn't end now either just because he saved this one soul whose rescue from death would in turn save the life of hundreds who weren't supposed to die.

The renewed silence during their only minutes long journey through time and space was tense, all of them staring anxiously at the monitors. When the TARDIS came to a rumbling, abrupt stop, they stood there frozen for a few seconds.

Then suddenly, a jolt went through River, and she was in motion. With swift but controlled movements, she grabbed a gas mask she'd set out earlier, and put it on before she operated her vortex manipulator to teleport her outside into the toxic air of Thames House.

The others followed the happenings at the monitors with bated breaths.

When she materialised in the vast room, she only spared one vicious look for the alien in its glass tank, playing for a second with the idea of simply blowing it up and be done with it, before she hurried over to the two fallen men before the tank. Bypassing Jack, she crouched down next to Ianto, and pulled him into her arms.

In the next second, they were back in the TARDIS, and back in the vortex. The whole operation could only have lasted mere seconds.

Inside, Martha immediately made way for Ianto, but before the young doctor could even come near her patient, a violent jolt shook the TARDIS so that everyone had to fight desperately to stay on their feet.

“What the...” the Doctor cried, but didn't finish for in that moment, one of the panels under the controls opened. A blinding white light interspersed with swirling golden particles suffused the TARDIS, and at the Doctor's warning cry “Don't look into the light!”, everybody averted their eyes. 

“Doctor, what's happening?!” Amy roared over the suddenly deafening sound of a storm blowing.

“It's the heart of the TARDIS”, the Doctor called back. “It's pure vortex energy. If you look directly at it, and absorb it, it will kill you because it's too much.” He sneaked a peak, and watched as the streak of white light started to circle around the control room like a vulture. Faster and faster it went until suddenly, it shot down.

The Doctor held his breath.

It went directly into Ianto Jones' still body.

The young man convulsed, and then drew in a familiar heaving breath, and in that moment, the Doctor already knew what had happened.

Martha, being the closest to her patient, scrambled to him, and drew him into her arms. She tried to hold the flailing young man still, all the while whispering soothing nonsense into his ear until finally, he calmed down.

“Martha?” Ianto asked, still breathing heavily from shock, his eyes looking wildly but unseeing around.

“Yes. It's all right. You're safe.”

Ianto let himself sag back into her arms for a moment before he suddenly jerked up again. He turned to her with wide eyes. “I died!” he whispered breathlessly.

“Yes,” Martha answered equally as breathless.

“But...” Frantically, he took in his surroundings. “This is the TARDIS, right?”

“Yeah, mate,” Mickey, who had knelt at Ianto's side as well, answered.

“But... I...” He noticed the other four people standing a little further back. His gaze fell on the Doctor. “It's you.” He didn't know why he knew that this tall young man with the bow tie and braces was the Doctor, he just knew. Maybe it was the rather eccentric clothes, something the Time Lord and Jack seemed to have in common. 

“We came to save you,” the Doctor explained. 

Ianto frowned. “Why would you do that?” Then he jolted up when a sudden thought struck him. “Where's Jack!?” he demanded to know. “You wouldn't save me for my sake. Only his. If at all.” Ianto looked firmly at the Doctor. “So tell me what happened to him. Where is he? Have the 456 got him?”

Rather helpless, the Doctor looked to his companions.

Ianto's gaze swivelled to Martha. “Martha?”

“He's here,” she explained softly.

“But?” He didn't like her tone one bit.

She cringed uncomfortably, lost for words herself. “It's... it's complicated.”

Stubbornly, Ianto folded his arms before his chest. “We're in the TARDIS. So I seem to have some time on my hands. Explain.”

“Yes, you have,” the Doctor mumbled softly, his voice tinged with regret, which made Ianto fix his penetrating gaze onto the Time Lord once more. 

“What do you mean!” he asked sharply.

The Doctor sighed, but then said bluntly, “You're immortal now. Like Jack you are a fixed point in time.”

This shut Ianto up for a good few minutes. As it did the others.

“Doctor?” Amy asked timidly.

“What did you think the vortex did? Simply resurrecting him? No.” The Doctor shook his head. “I knew the moment he came back to life that he...” He waived his hand. “Well... is _this_...”

Ianto's breathing became faster again as he had to deal with this sudden, life-changing information, and at the same time, a small, still rationally functioning part of his brain wanted to strangle the Doctor.

“Sit down before you start hyperventilating,” Martha urged, but Ianto waved her away. 

“I'm okay,” he assured her albeit a little shakily. “'S all right.”

Rory frowned. “You take this awfully calm all things considering.”

Ianto shrugged. “When you work for Torchwood, there isn't much that can still surprise you.”

Martha frowned as well. “You're not really unhappy that this happened, right?”

Slightly sheepish, Ianto evaded her inquisitive stare. “Better than being dead.”

“Ianto...”

“Okay!” he cried exasperated. “No, I'm not... distressed or anything. I'm glad if you have to know. For Jack's sake. And now tell me where he is.” The last was aimed at the Doctor who bore Ianto's fierce, expecting gaze for a few seconds before his shoulders slumped. “Martha, would you take Mr. Jones to Jack, please.”

 

Despite his self-confident manner, now, Ianto felt full of trepidation as he followed Martha down the TARDIS' corridors, not even taking the time to marvel at the incredible design of the ship. In clipped tones, they had explained what had happened, and how they had come upon Jack. He still couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe that something in this universe had the power to break Jack Harkness. And that that something was supposed to be him...

He stepped into an empty room behind Martha. And stopped short. For a few seconds, he was only able to gape in shock at the hunched figure cowering on the floor at the far wall, his wrists wrapped in heavy chains attached to the wall. But then he moved, and within the blink of an eye, Ianto had crossed the room, and was crouching down beside Jack, carefully taking stock of his condition. The other man hadn't even noticed someone coming in.

Jack was in a bad way. His clothes, including his beloved coat, were torn at some places and dirty. Mostly with blood Ianto realised in horror. At the moment, the fabric was wet, as was Jack's dirt-streaked hair. He was staring straight ahead as if catatonic, and what Ianto could see of his eyes horrified him. They were devoid of any emotion.

Then his gaze fell onto the chains, and hot anger flared up inside him. “Take them off,” he snapped, and only barely held himself in check to try to pull at them with his bare hands.

“I... I don't have any keys,” Martha stammered helplessly, but Ianto hadn't been talking to her anyway. 

He looked up. “Please,” he begged the TARDIS. “Please release him.”

And just like that, the chains fell away with a loud rattle. Ianto caught Jack when the chains didn't hold him up any more.

“Jack?” he whispered. “Can you hear me?”

At hearing his voice, and feeling someone's warm arms around him, Jack stirred slightly. He looked up weakly, and met Ianto's gaze.

The younger man smiled tenderly at him. “Hey there.”

A spark of recognition lit up in Jack's eyes, and they widened. “Ianto?” he asked timidly, his voice rough from disuse.

Ianto cringed at this further evidence of damage to Jack's person, but he forced himself to smile gently at Jack. “Yeah, it's me.”

A weak smile played around Jack's lips. “It's so good to see you,” he mumbled listlessly, rubbing his face on Ianto's shoulder like an affection-seeking cat. “Even if you're not real.”

Ianto closed his eyes in pain, and drew in a shaky breath, his heart breaking all over again. Gently, he kissed Jack's temple, then his chapped lips. “I  _am_ here,” he tried to persuade him. “It's really me.”

Jack suddenly became completely still in his arms, he even stopped breathing, then he drew back, and looked at Ianto long and hard with wide, wild eyes. He reached up a shaky hand, and timidly touched Ianto's cheek while he searched his face for any clues that told him Ianto was speaking the truth. In the end, he seemed to have found whatever he was searching for because finally, he breathed a wondrous “It's you,” and immediately, tears sprang to his eyes.

“Yes. See, I'm okay.” Ianto gently took Jack's hand that lay on his cheek, and squeezed it for emphasis. “Ev'rything is all right.” 

“You're alive...” 

A heart-wrenching sob suddenly tore from Jack's throat, and he wrapped his arms around Ianto, clinging to him as if his life depended on him.

Lovingly, Ianto rocked the completely distraught man in his arms, letting his own tears flow freely, shaken to the core at Jack's state. He had wanted Jack to remember him, but not like that. It was the most horrible feeling to see Jack like this, only a shadow of his former self.

They cowered like that on the floor for a long time while Ianto gave Jack the chance to compose himself again.

What now, he thought eventually. Would Jack ever be the same again? After all he'd done? He would be crushed when he eventually realised what horrible crimes he had committed. But no matter what, Ianto wouldn't leave him ever again. They had all of eternity now, and he would do everything in his powers to help Jack recover.

“It will be all right, Jack,” he reassured more for his own sake than Jack's.

“Not for me,” the other man sighed softly, but he didn't sound sad. 

Ianto drew back to glare at Jack sharply in reprimand, but he froze in mid-glare.

Jack smiled at him, his suddenly translucent body shimmering with swirling golden vortex particles. “See. For me it's too late. This timeline is being overwritten through your resurrection.” Tenderly, he put his hand on Ianto's cheek. Ianto shuddered. The touch felt like a whisper of wind. He looked at Jack's slowly dissipating form with desperate, wide eyes. “But... you can't go,” he stammered frantically, and took Jack's hand tightly in his so as if to anchor him to this reality. “You belong with me.”

Jack shook his head. He was still smiling, and a sudden aura of calm and peace had settled over him. “You have to return to my younger self. You belong with him.”

“I... I don't understand.” 

“I will vanish, Ianto. I have no place in this timeline, but it's better this way.”

“How can that be for the better!” Ianto argued. 

“I am too broken. Even with you by my side, I will never be whole again. And I can never forgive myself for the things I've done. Now that I'm relatively sane again, and able to grasp what I have done, I am horrified with myself. But you can prevent all this from happening. Return to him, and be happy. Both of you. And for me...” He shook his head with a wistful smile. “I'm only glad that I was allowed to see you one last time.”

“But it's not fair to you,” Ianto protested vehemently.

“Oh Ianto Jones,” Jack sighed, smiling tenderly at him. “Don't you see? You saved me once again. You will release me from this life of suffering. I don't want to live any more.”

This made Ianto go still. He was shocked, but with further contemplation, he realised that it really was for the best. Even if it still wasn't fair.

“Will you stay with me until I'm gone?” Jack suddenly asked, and the timid, hopeful tone of his voice broke Ianto's heart all over once more. As if his lover had to ask!

But instead, he only breathed a heart-felt “always”, and drew Jack tightly into his arms again.

The Captain relaxed in Ianto's arms, and together, clinging to each other, they waited.

Ianto didn't know how much time passed, but eventually, a ripple went through Jack's body, and he let out a soft gasp. Ianto drew back hastily to look him in the eye without ever releasing him. Jack's body had become even more translucent.

“Does it hurt?” he asked worriedly.

“No.” Jack smiled at him. “It's like butterflies in my whole body. It's... a funny feeling.” Jack gnawed on his bottom lip, for a moment uncertain. Then he sighed heavily, and he averted his eyes from Ianto's curious gaze. “The only thing that still hurts is that I have never said it.”

Ianto frowned. “Jack?”

The Captain looked up again, now firmly meeting Ianto's gaze dead on. “I love you, Ianto Jones. I hope he will find the courage to say it one day, too. I've been too much of a coward to say it until now, but I want to tell you at least this once.”

Ianto swallowed heavily. He had longed to hear these words from Jack for so long now, and he felt sorry for them both that he had had to die first for Jack to find the courage to admit his feelings, but he was glad that Jack could say them finally, now that he got a second and final chance to say it.

“I love you, too,” he said softly, and leaned forward to kiss Jack firmly. He held their mouths pressed together for a long time, but then suddenly, his lips met empty air instead of the soft pressure of warm lips. 

Startled, Ianto opened his eyes again, but Jack was gone, a few swirling golden vortex particles the only residual proof of Jack's existence. He swallowed heavily around the lump in his throat, and took the time to mourn this version of Jack who had had to suffer so much. At the same time, he took heart from the thought that he could at least spare another Jack all of this pain. And maybe, they could have something of a happy end together.

He stood up on shaky legs, and with a last mournful look at the empty space where Jack's huddled form had been a few minutes ago, he left this room to return to the others.

 

They perked up when Ianto stepped into the control room. He met Martha and Mickey's eye, and shook his head sadly. They both drew in an audible breath, and took a minute to pay their silent respect to Jack as well. They didn't ask any more questions, so either they had watched over the monitors, or the Doctor had explained what would likely happen to Jack.

“We'll take you back now,” River said softly into the sad silence, and started to set the controls.

Ianto took a deep, shaky breath, and nodded. He wanted nothing more than to take Jack into his arms now.

A few minutes later, the TARDIS had stopped again, and everyone looked at the door with slight feelings of trepidation.

Ianto swallowed heavily, but made his way towards the door before he turned around once more to look at every one of them. “Thank you,” he said, and nodded at them. “I owe you all.”

“No, you don't,” Amy disagreed. “It was the right thing to do.”

Ianto shrugged. “The right thing's not always what's possible.”

“There's much more possible than you think,” River winked at him, and once more, Ianto felt reminded of Jack when dealing with this interesting wife of the Doctor. God help them all. 

“But we still don't know how to beat the 456,” he grumbled under his breath which he hadn't intended for the others to hear. 

Ignoring River's cheery “just blow them up” in the background, Martha stepped up close to Ianto to whisper something into his ear. The Doctor started to protest, but Amy resolutely elbowed him in the side until he shut up.

Meanwhile, Ianto's eyes widened at hearing Martha's words, and he looked at her in shock.

She returned his gaze seriously, and nodded.

He nodded as well after a while, and turned around again towards the TARDIS door.

 

With a soft gasp, Jack woke up. And realised two things at once even before he really knew where he was. One was that he knew that his child was gone. And second... that Ianto was gone, too.

Numbly, he sat up, and spotted Gwen sitting next to him. She smiled at him gently, and when he looked behind her, he expected to see Ianto's still body laid out there with the other countless bodies around them. But there was nothing.

“Gwen?” he asked in a rough voice, but she shrugged, helpless tears coursing down her cheeks. 

“We...” she sobbed. “We watched it all, and when the two of you collapsed... Oh Jack.” She had to take a moment to compose herself. “Then it all went so fast. There was the TARDIS and this woman suddenly appearing beside you. She took Ianto with him.”

Jack felt as if his insides had been carved out with a spoon. He felt numb and hollow, and it ached with hope. “W-what did you say...” He looked at her inquisitively with wide, wild eyes.

“The TARDIS took Ianto away,” Gwen repeated, a slightly hopeful tone in her voice. “Jack, what does that mean?!”

“I...” But before Jack could voice any thoughts, a familiar grinding noise filled the vast gym. Both of their heads whipped around to watch the TARDIS materialise in the corner. Then the blue ship sat still for a few moments, nobody opened the door to come out.

They didn't turn their eyes from her for one second.

Then, the door opened with their usual squeaking hinges, and...

Jack sucked in a shocked breath.

He was on his feet before he could even fully process what his eyes were telling him. His legs felt like rubber, but they nonetheless carried him the few steps over in the direction of the TARDIS before Ianto met him halfway. He pulled his warm, breathing lover into a crushing hug, and not caring of any onlookers, let out a heart-wrenching sob which was only slightly muffled in the crook of Ianto's neck.

Ianto held him for long minutes. It was as if they were suspended in time in that moment, and Jack wanted it to never end least he suddenly woke up and realised it had all been a dream.

He looked in the direction of the TARDIS. Martha and Mickey stood in the open door together with a tall, gangly man wearing a bow tie who could only be another regeneration of the Doctor. He drew in a shaky breath, and nodded at them gratefully. They returned the gesture, and smiled at him, and Martha held her hand up next to her face in a sign that she would call him while at the same time mouthing the words themselves.

Jack nodded in agreement, and then they closed the door. In the blink of an eye, the TARDIS disappeared, but Jack had already only eyes for Ianto again.

 

It was over. It was really, finally over. Jack had never thought to get through all of this without suffering tremendous losses. And, according to Ianto's tales, he hadn't. Only thanks to the love his friends felt for him and the compassion of three strangers did he get a second chance. On the one hand, he mourned and felt with his future self, now erased from time because the timeline had rearranged itself with Ianto becoming immortal, but on the other hand, he was so grateful. He had his lover back, no, the love of his life he realised, and furthermore, they had managed to save the children of Earth without... Jack had to suppress a shudder... without him sacrificing his own grandson. When Ianto had told him how to beat the 456, he was relieved, but when he'd needled his lover a little more for further information, Ianto had reluctantly told him everything although he'd clearly tried to shield Jack from the actions of his future self. To say he had been horrified was an understatement, and so, he was even more grateful now that he wouldn't lose his daughter and grandson to save millions of other children.

Now, they were on their way back to Cardiff, fully preparing to lay low for a while since the government wasn't really that happy with Torchwood. Gwen and Rhys wanted to go into hiding as well, especially with Gwen pregnant now. Jack had given Ianto the address of a small cottage that he'd bought in the outskirts of Cardiff back in the seventies. It was supposed to be a hiding place and a withdrawal for whenever he needed to be alone for a while (his heats for example). There, they could stay until it was safe to return into civilization (as soon as possible, had been Ianto's grumbled comment since his lover hated country life, and not just since their encounter with the cannibals in the Brecon Beacons).

Jack felt uncharacteristically exhausted which was why he had surrendered the steering wheel to Ianto. Once in a while, he watched his lover calmly while he drove since he still couldn't believe that he was really here, alive. Occasionally, Jack reached out to touch Ianto. He had to reassure himself not only with his eyes. And every time, Ianto smiled at him lovingly from the corner of his eye, and tightly grabbed Jack's hand lying on his thigh.

 

He must have fallen asleep because the next time he looked out of the window, they just passed a “You are leaving Cardiff”-sign.

“We're almost there,” Ianto confirmed softly, and Jack nodded groggily. “Jack, how long...”

“I don't know. Not too long, I hope. And if the going gets tough, we'll make sure Gwen and her family are safe, and then we can leave the planet. If you want,” Jack added hastily. For him, it wasn't a big deal to leave Earth for a while. He finally felt that he owed mankind nothing any more because although he had something of a happy end now, he could never forget what had been. In this other timeline, he would have lost everything. But this was Ianto's home, his family lived here, estranged as they may be.

“Yes,” the younger man replied firmly without taking his eyes off the road. He flitted a quick look at Jack before focussing on driving again. “Actually, I'd love to someday. There's nothing here for me any more.”

“Your sister,” Jack protested, but Ianto snorted sardonically at that.

“Please. She's better off without me, and sooner or later, I have to leave regardless. Bit obvious if I won't age. Maybe I should have stayed dead officially.”

“No!” Jack snapped more forcefully than intended, and Ianto looked at him in surprise. He frowned, but didn't object since he knew... he had to swallow, and focus on the road again. He knew what had become of Jack only because he had died. 

“I won't allow her to suffer like I have suffered thinking you were dead. Not even for one minute.”

Ianto reached out, and reassuringly took Jack's hand. “Okay,” he simply said. “Then I will tell her in a few years that I will stay like this.”

Jack's tightly strung body relaxed under Ianto's hand once more, and the Captain sighed softly in relief.

“It will be a shock for her though,” Ianto continued. “And she'll not be happy.”

Jack grinned weakly at that, having to think of Alice all of a sudden. “Yeah, women tend to get a little tetchy when they get reminded of their age.”

Ianto shrugged. “Yeah, well. She'll slap me, and then she'll get over it.”

“Very pragmatical woman, your sister.”

The only thing Ianto could answer to that was snort sarcastically, luring a chuckle from Jack.

After that, they remained silent for the rest of the drive, the only exception when Jack gave Ianto directions.

Finally, Ianto steered their (still stolen) car along a short path up to the cottage right in the middle of nowhere. He breathed a surprised gasp in relief at which Jack chuckled softly. Because, actually, this wasn't really countryside. The small stone cottage was nestled against a tall cliff near the beach, only a few kilometres away from the long abandoned cottage he'd recommended Gwen and Rhys take residence in (although it probably wasn't that clever to stay that near to each other, Jack couldn't bear the thought of having to part from his friends; he needed them with him desperately for the moment). “You could have told me,” Ianto admonished him, and lightly slapped his arm, somewhat placated about the location, and maybe, Jack hoped, it wouldn't remind Ianto that much of the Brecon Beacons. For Jack himself, this was a slice of Heaven. Having grown up at the sea – even if it had been hot and sandy instead of cold, breezy, and lushly green –, being near water had always made him feel at home no matter which planet he visited.

After the long drive, Jack was glad to finally get out of the car, and he breathed in deeply as soon as the cold, salty breeze of the ocean blew around him. Peace settled over him suddenly, and he thought that, at least for a while, he would enjoy the peace and calm of exile.

They both stood beside the car for a long while to simply look at their new home, tightly pressed against each other against the cold wind, and their hands clasped within each other's for comfort.

“Let's go inside, yeah?” Ianto asked without expecting an answer. Shivering, he parted from Jack's side to unload the car. They'd only brought the necessities, provisions and such. They would go back tomorrow to Ianto's flat for some of his things, as well as going shopping for Jack since the Captain had lost the few possessions he owned when the Hub had blown up.

Inside, it was slightly dusty, but overall, the interior was in a good state. Every few months, Jack had someone come up here for cleaning.

“It's nice,” Ianto commented while immediately making a beeline for the small kitchen niche he'd spotted to put away their groceries. For a moment, Jack stood idly in the middle of the room. But then, he gave himself a start, and started to help Ianto.

By the time they had put away their things, it was dark already, and Jack started on their dinner since Ianto wasn't much of a cook.

Dinner was a silent affair. Both of them were still in shock as well as bone-weary. Afterwards, when Ianto attempted to do the washing-up, Jack put his hand on Ianto's to still him. The younger man looked up questioningly.

Jack searched his face for a moment intensely before he said in a choked voice, “I want you to sleep with me... Please, I need you.”

Ianto returned his gaze for a few moments, equally as intense. Actually, he looked so long at Jack that the older man started to become nervous. But then, Ianto bridged the distance between them, and kissed him deeply without preamble. Relieved, Jack sighed into Ianto's mouth, and wrapped his arms around him with desperate force.

Without parting from each other, they stumbled in the direction of the bedroom, leaving a trail of hastily shed clothing in their wake. Once inside the sparsely furnished bedroom, Jack pulled Ianto onto the king-size bed, and lost no time to make sure that the younger man stayed where he was by wrapping his legs tightly around Ianto's waist. Without hesitation, Jack wriggled his hand between their bodies to determinedly grab Ianto's rock-hard cock, and position it against his entrance.

For a split second, the younger man looked enquiringly at Jack, but then he snapped his hips forward, and pushed into Jack's slick hole.

Both men moaned at the sensation, and for a moment, they stayed poised to enjoy this intimate connection to the fullest.

Then, Jack let out a small whimper which spurred Ianto into motion. His thrusts were firm, but much too slow. Jack urged him on with breathy mewls and filthy encouragements, by wrapping his legs more tightly around Ianto to pull him in even more, and by clenching down on the thick cock shoved deep inside him. It was as if he was driven, seeking something, needing to feel Ianto, needing to feel that he was alive, but Ianto didn't comply. Knowing Jack as well as he did, he recognised Jack's desire, but he knew what the other man needed not to fall apart. He slowed down even more, forcing Jack to slow down as well, and he made slow, intense love to Jack.

Jack trembled in his arms, but he gradually calmed down. The whole time, they never even once let the other out of their sight, their gazes locked firmly while Ianto gently thrust into Jack.

Jack came first with a soft gasp, and the rhythmic contractions around his cock send Ianto over the edge as well. Shaking once more, Jack drew Ianto tightly into his arms. “I love you,” he whispered over and over into Ianto's hair, making Ianto's heart soar. “Don't leave me.”

Ianto smiled, and breathed a kiss against Jack's neck, plastering himself tighter against Jack's body. “I won't.”

 

Ianto found Jack standing in the dark, looking out of the window of their small cottage.

“Jack?” Ianto asked, and came over to the Captain. “What's up? Are you all right?” He looked closely at Jack in the gloomy light, and noticed his drawn expression. His eyes wandered over his body, searching for any clues that told him why Jack seemed to be in such a maudlin mood. His eyes came to rest on Jack's stomach which the older man cradled gently with both hands. He gulped, suddenly feeling slightly numb.

“Jack?” he asked once more, but now his voice sounded shaky.

“Yes, I'm pregnant,” Jack confirmed softly, and caressed his flat stomach with a wistful sigh. 

“Not impregnated yourself, I take it,” Ianto enquired drily although he knew perfectly well that they had made love yesterday without a condom. And to be truthful, he really hadn't thought about Jack's physiology. Sometimes, he tended to forget, but now he recalled the warmer than normal body he'd held in his arms, and all the other little signs that Jack had been in heat. After all, he had told him more than once that dying wrought havoc on his cycle every time. Jack must have known of course, but seemed to have decided not to tell Ianto. And they hadn't used any condoms... As if he had _wanted_ to become pregnant...

“No.” Jack let out a raspy laugh before he looked at Ianto searchingly, bringing the other man out of his thoughts abruptly. “Is this... is this all right?”

“Oh Jack.” Ianto bridged the distance between them to draw the Captain into his arms. “Of course, you stupid man. I'm so happy.”

Ianto felt all the tension leaving Jack's body immediately, and he wondered what the other man had been so nervous about. But on the other hand, they were in hiding. Maybe not the best moment to become pregnant even if he seemed to have taken the risk of becoming pregnant knowingly. Maybe that's what made Jack nervous.

Jack let out a shaky breath that tickled Ianto's neck, and then he inhaled heavily. “I was pregnant before,” he finally confessed.

Confused, Ianto drew back to look at Jack. “I know,” he said. “You've told me.”

“No.” Jack shook his head, and grasped Ianto's hand to press it against his flat stomach. “Not... not on the Valiant, but... before Thames House.” He evaded Ianto's incredulous gaze in shame. “I was pregnant when I went into Thames House. I killed our child and lost you at the same time.”

Ianto didn't know what to say. “Oh,” he finally breathed softly. The numbness crept back into his bones, and made him shiver, so he crowded against Jack once more for warmth and comfort.

Feeling Ianto's body pressed against his, the Captain broke down at last, all the pain still nestled deep inside him and eating away at him finally finding an outlet. He wrapped shaking arms around Ianto, and buried his face in the crook of his neck. “I'm so sorry...”

Helplessly, Ianto did the only thing he could think of now; he wrapped his own arms tightly around Jack, and held him through his heart-breaking sobs.

“I... I couldn't let Gwen go in there. I...”

“Shh, I know,” Ianto tried to soothe him while his own heart was breaking with grief for Jack as well as for their lost child. 

“And...” He drew back from Ianto eventually to look at him, his eyes wild and blood-shot from crying. “I did it on purpose.”

“What do you mean?”

“Risking becoming pregnant. I knew that my heat's coming up, and although I have a stock of suppressants and contraceptives here at the cottage, I didn't take them. I already lost our first child, and I lost you. I couldn't... I wanted...”

Ianto drew him into his arms again. So, he'd been right. And now he knew the reason for Jack's actions as well. He whispered soothing nonsense into Jack's ear, and gently caressed his back.

“We will have this child together,” he murmured fiercely. “And we'll be a real family.” 

Now it was Ianto who drew back to be able to look Jack in the eye. “And I won't leave you ever again.”

Jack blinked in confusion. “But... you will. One day, you will.”

“No,” Ianto smiled at him. “I won't. Ever. If you will have me, I will stay with you forever.”

Jack blinked some more, and opened his mouth a few times to speak, but any words eluded him. He swallowed heavily. “You are...” he finally realised.

Ianto nodded seriously.

Tears sprang to Jack's eyes again. “How...” His voice trembled so that even forming this one syllable was hard on him.

“Later,” Ianto promised.

Jack nodded, but pulled Ianto against him tightly once more, burying his face in his neck, and inhaling deeply with a shaky breath. They stood like that for a long time until all out of a sudden, Jack drew back slightly frantic.

“Let's go away,” he suddenly pleaded. “Let's leave Earth. It isn't safe for our child.”

“And space? Is it safe there?” Ianto frowned.

“Yes. I know a lot of places that are perfectly peaceful. We'll be safe there until we decide to return.” The last was posed as a question, and Ianto nodded. 

“I'm...” He hesitated while gathering his thoughts. “I'm not ready to leave Earth behind for good. Not...” He swallowed.

“Not as long as you have family here,” Jack finished the thought for him.

Ianto nodded. “No matter how estranged we are, she is my sister, they are my family.”

Jack returned the nod. “Yes. And maybe I can still mend things with Alice. Now that I didn't...” He trailed off, and a shudder wrecked his whole body when he thought of what Ianto had told him the other Him had done. It was unthinkable that he could ever do something like this to his own grandson, but deep down, Jack knew that he was capable of doing this if millions of children's lives depended on his decision. And losing Ianto... he knew that it would have broken him so that even the last of his scruples would have been gone when having to decide to sacrifice Stephen. He already had been broken the moment he realised that Ianto would die with him in Thames House, only because of his hubris. So, yes, he would take advantage of this second chance with all he'd got.

“And if we go _now_ ,” he continued, “I won't have to explain to Gwen that I'm pregnant, and especially _why_ I am pregnant.”

Ianto chuckled. “I'd really like to be part of that confession.”

Jack grimaced in answer. “I don't. So, let's get out of here, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Ianto nodded. “I think we have to prepare a few things, but then...” He shuddered slightly at the prospect of getting to see the universe. He'd never even dared to dream that one day Jack would show him all the wonders of space; he hadn't considered himself important enough, and he hadn't counted on living long enough to get the chance. But now, much like Jack, he had been gifted with a second chance. _They_ were gifted a second chance together, and they would use it well. Until the end of time.

**End**

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, yeah, one more Children of Earth fix it, what can I do^^  
> I hope you liked reading my story, and I'm open for constructive criticism, especially concerning the Alpha/Omega dynamics. Please tell me if I have fucked up royally there or if something doesn't make sense.


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